Logan O’Connor returned to the Avalanche lineup on Oct. 23 after missing the first 10 games of the season. While he is healthy enough to play, he continues to battle another kind of injury — grief.
O’Connor had a special bond with his father, who passed away suddenly at the age of 59 on Oct. 6. The elder O’Connor was a defenseman who played collegiate hockey for the University of Michigan and 43 regular-season NHL games for the New Jersey Devils and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
READ MORE: Ways Logan O’Connor’s return to the lineup will impact Avalanche
The 30-year-old forward addressed the media after practice at Family Sports on Nov. 6. It was the most difficult interview of my career.
“It’s the reason I play because he was my hero. I wanted to be just like him. During the game, in a weird way, you feel close, but also so far away from him. After every game, I’d call him. So that absence is felt especially hard when I’m playing before and after games,” O’Connor said. “I find that’s when your mind’s sort of racing a little more about the bond and connection we had over hockey, and that was what a lot of our conversations were about. And so during the game, try to just focus on what’s at hand. But it obviously creeps into my mind consistently throughout as well. I’ve definitely found the after game is where it’s been the toughest for me.”
While grief hits everyone differently, it takes a toll physically, mentally, and spiritually. Having lost both my parents, I understand that the pain and sadness involved is indescribable. It is not something one recovers from quickly. But O’Connor returned to the team about two weeks after losing his dad.
“I could have taken three months, to be honest. I think it was right for me to just sort of get my mind away from it, focus on something that I love, playing the game. That’s what bonded us,” O’Connor said. “I was in Calgary for a while, and those were terrible, hard days and tired days. Grief brings a lot of physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion. That’s probably been the hardest thing. But had to just balance what I felt was right. He wouldn’t want me to dwell on it too much.”
Although no one but his family can truly relate to his experience (and even then, death affects everyone differently), it has been crucial to receive love and support from his team.
“They’ve been great throughout the whole time. Not many of them exactly know what I’m going through, but they’ve been super understanding of the process and trying to take my mind off things,” O’Connor said. “Every guy texting me when it was happening and super supportive along the way, in doing whatever they can to help throughout the process.”
No words or actions can fill the void of losing a parent. But my mother had said to me once, “You don’t get over losing someone; you get through it,” which resonated with me after she passed. The initial shock and pain may dissipate over time, but the hardest part is learning to live without that special human in your life.
It will be a long road for O’Connor, but getting back to the game he loves with his father’s legacy in mind is a step toward this different life he faces.
Personal side note from Mile High Sports’ Colleen Flynn
This was a very personal piece for me to cover. My mom was my best friend, and we bonded through sports, which we discussed regularly on our nightly calls. I could not hold back tears while talking to Logan; it was difficult for all the reporters present.
Being a sports journalist goes beyond covering games and statistics. We spend a lot of time building relationships with players, who are people just like us writers. My colleagues (Meghan Angley, Ryan Boulding, Aarif Deen, Pat Graham, Corey Masisak, Jesse Montano, Evan Rawal) and I offered our condolences to Logan and his family by sending flowers to the O’Connor home in Calgary for the service.
Flynn Bin: Avalanche’s O’Connor back on the ice with a heavy heart Mile High Sports.
Hence then, the article about flynn bin avalanche s o connor back on the ice with a heavy heart was published today ( ) and is available on Mile High Sports ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Flynn Bin: Avalanche’s O’Connor back on the ice with a heavy heart )
Also on site :