Kovalchuk suffered herniated disc during playoffs

Devils head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed during Wednesday’s end-of-season news conference that left wing Ilya Kovalchuk was hampered by a herniated disc in his lower back.

"It was a back injury. That's not like a broken bone." DeBoer told the Newark Star-Ledger. "I thought he showed a lot of guts, a lot of character. He didn't want to come out. That's a testament to his character."  

Kovalchuk says he is unsure whether the injury will require off-season surgery. The 29-year-old played in 23 of the Devils 24 post-season games, scoring 8 goals but tallying just 1 empty-netter in the Stanley Cup Final.