Catastrophic Testicle Injury Won't Stop Nicklas Lidstrom

Here are words no man ever wants to read: "nearly catastrophic injury to his testicle." Those were the words Toronto Star columnist Damien Cox used to describe an injury suffered by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. The future Hall-of-Famer suffered the injury in Game 3 of the NHL Western Conference Finals after a ball-busting spear by Chicago's Patrick Sharp.

Ever the warrior, Lidstrom played found the testicular fortitude to play through the injury and lead his team into a Game 7 matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The real story, to some in the media at least, is that the Lidstrom testicle injury has largely been ignored by reporters. NHL teams can be tight-lipped during the postseason, refusing to specify details about player injuries.

In Lidstrom's case, his busted nut was referred to only as a "lower body injury." According to the Globe & Mail's Bruce Dowbiggin, some reporters covering the team were aware of the gruesome details, but refused to make them public.

Dowbiggin correctly points out that hiding Lidstrom's injury also helps shield players like Sharp from criticism for such dirty play. It also prevents a player like Lidstrom from getting the kudos he richly deserves for having to fight through such a painful injury. The 39-year-old should be lauded for his cojones, especially since they were nearly ripped off in a near catastrophic accident.