Ex-NHL Tough Guy Opens up About Painful Addiction Recovery

Twenty years on from the NHL, Chris Nilan still feels the pain.NHL
“I deal with arthritis every day. I need a new right knee. My left ankle’s a mess,” said the 54-year-old former tough guy who struggled with addiction after hockey. “You know, I deal with it. I deal with it in a different way — through therapy.

“I use a lot more ice than when I used when I was in the middle of my addiction,” he added with a chuckle.

An anti-inflammatory helps. So does a high pain threshold.

“I was always able to suck it up. It’s not fun to have to suck it up,” Nilan said of his hockey-playing days. “Today I suck it up a bit. Certain days I have to deal with it, there’s not a whole lot else I can do. And that’s OK with me today.” Read More…

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