Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron is nearing his season debut after undergoing hip surgery in July, and he's hopeful the procedure has fully resolved the worsening pain he experienced over the past couple of years.
The 32-year-old chronicled the extent of the issue while speaking to reporters Saturday.
"Every day was different, every game was different. I remember some days just taking off your equipment and barely being able to walk to your stall. Going upstairs was always tough some days. Not even being able to sleep after games," he said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.
"It would feel OK, and then you'd go to bed, and every time you moved in your sleep, it would wake you up in pain because all that adrenaline and Tylenol and Advil kind of wears off in the night."
Byron said he received a cortisone injection before last year's playoffs. It initially made him feel better, but the relief dissipated midway through the Canadiens' first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"By Game 5, it was just right back to where it was, and I remember saying in my head, 'This could be your last game of the year; you've just gotta grind through it, push through it, give everything you have. You have literally nothing left to leave on the table and win the game,'" he said. "Same thing Game 6, same thing Game 7, and that mentally just carried on."
Byron registered six points while averaging 14:35 of ice time in 22 playoff games during Montreal's run to the Stanley Cup Final. He scored a highlight-reel shorthanded goal to secure a Game 1 victory against Toronto.
Byron said the relief provided by the cortisone shot, though short-lived, changed his perspective on a potential recovery.
"That injection moment was kind of when the lightbulb went off and said, 'Wow, if that's how I can feel every day, I've gotta find a way to get that again.' This was the path I had to take, and I'm hoping it works," he said. "I'm excited. I'm really excited to play again and try it out because I feel really good right now."
Montreal head coach Dominique Ducharme said Byron and fellow injured forward Brendan Gallagher won't play Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers, but he's confident the duo can suit up against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
Gallagher, 29, has been sidelined for all of January with a lower-body injury.
