Capitals' Erskine recovering from injury, son thinks he's 'chicken'

John Erskine was a dominant physical force on the ice for the Washington Capitals before a bad neck took him out of action. 

Despite the injury, his son isn't afraid to throw punches daddy's way.

Erskine's 6-year-old son Paxton had some words for pops, having noticed his father was home a lot rather than playing hockey.

"Daddy, you don't play in the NHL. You're chicken," Paxton told him, as Erskine recounted to Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post.

The defenseman, who had surgery on his neck to repair a disc, had to explain it differently to his son.

"No," Erskine replied. "I'm hurt. I'm not chicken."

The 34-year-old, who hasn't played in a game since April 2014, is skating with the Capitals, although there's no timeline for his return to action.

Erskine is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.