Mikhail Sergachev is fighting for top role with Utah Hockey Club. First, he had to relearn how to walk.

Before Mikhail Sergachev could battle for the top defensive role with Utah Hockey Club, he had to relearn how to walk.

Madison Square Garden fell silent last February as Sergachev squirmed on the ice in agony. The defenseman — playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning at the time — collided with New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere and fell awkwardly into the boards, legs first.

“I’ve known ‘Sergy’ for several years and he’s one of the tougher players I’ve had along the way,” Tampa’s head athletic trainer Tom Mulligan said. “As I was heading out to him, it was obvious how much pain he was in. At that point, I was like ‘OK, something’s really wrong here.’”

Mulligan and his staff got Sergachev on a stretcher and carted him off to the locker room. There were two immediate objectives: get Sergachev as comfortable as possible and assess the extent of the injury. They cut the laces off Sergachev’s skate, trying to expose the boot and remove the equipment without shifting the leg. An X-ray followed.

“As a player in that situation, I think he probably had a million thoughts running through his mind as to what this is,” Mulligan said. “Just how significant this is — is it my career? How long is this going to be? All those thoughts come out at the same time.”

Mikhail Sergachev’s rehab

That game at the Garden was supposed to be a celebration for Sergachev.

The 26-year-old had missed the previous 17 games with a lower-body injury and was finally ready for his first matchup in over a month. But after 10:22 of ice time in his return, Sergachev fractured his left tibia and fibula.

He was transferred to a New York hospital, and not even 12 hours after the injury occurred, he was on the operating table to stabilize the fractures. A few days later, recovery began.

“It was a grind. It was very tough mentally first of all,” Sergachev said.

The first couple weeks following the surgery were tough. The recovery timeline sat at three to four months, and it was going to be a grueling rehabilitation process. Sergachev worked on an underwater treadmill in the early stages to help support his body weight. He went from two crutches to one to trying to use the support of a countertop to move around.

Full weight bearing was a milestone, as was spinning on a stationary bike.

Walking, let alone skating, though, felt far off.

“It was hard. I had mood swings. The pills and everything — it kind of messes you up a little bit,” Sergachev said. “And then you go to the rink and kind of get depressed because everybody’s playing and you can’t walk.”

Sergachev decided to stop taking the pain medication the doctors were providing. He did not want to rely on the pills; he wanted to allow his mind to process the situation. Sergachev was eventually able to truly feel the progress he was making, Mulligan said. The defenseman wasn’t feeling better because a pill was numbing the pain, he said, but instead because of the work he was putting in every day, inch by inch.

Mentally, it helped to have an example within the Lightning of a player who suffered a similar injury and made a full return. Former Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos broke his right tibia in 2013 and rediscovered his game after rehabilitation.

“[Stamkos] was in the locker room every day with ‘Sergy’ and it was something for him to look at and say, ‘Stammer made an awesome recovery and I can get to that point, too,’” Mulligan said.

Sergachev also credits his family, specifically his wife, Liza, for getting him through the darkest days.

“She was there for me to talk and help,” he said. “I’m thankful for her.”

Sergachev soon took his first steps pain-free steps. Then he jumped. Then he started to run. Then it was time to put the skates back on.

A return to the ice

Once Sergachev started skating again, a potential return became more of a reality because the Lightning had made it to the postseason. Just 80 days after the traumatic turn of events at Madison Square Garden, Sergachev took the ice at Amalie Arena for Game 4 of the first round of the 2024 playoffs against the Florida Panthers.

In the 6-3 win, Sergachev posted an assist on Brandon Hagel’s goal and logged 17:03 of total ice time. He got his spark back.

“It felt amazing,” Sergachev said of his April 27 return. “The support from the guys and from the fans was great. It was kind of easy for me to blend in because everyone was very supportive. At the same time, it was very emotional.”

Sergachev got one more game in before the Panthers eliminated the Lightning from the playoffs and ultimately went on to win the Stanley Cup. But he was back.

“He’s somebody who is so dedicated and committed to his profession,” Mulligan said. “He wants to help the team. Every day that he wasn’t out there he felt like he was letting the team down because he couldn’t perform. His drive just to not only be the best player he can be but to continue to get better — it’s remarkable.”

Sergachev’s life took a turn once again when he was traded to the Utah Hockey Club in June in exchange for defenseman J.J. Moser, forward Conor Geekie, a 2024 seventh-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick. The blueliner has seven years remaining on the eight-year, $68 million contract he signed with Tampa in July 2022.

Utah acquired Sergachev to bolster its backend by adding experience — the defenseman’s two Stanley Cups fit the bill. General manager Bill Armstrong also brought over veterans Ian Cole and John Marino.

Sergachev played behind Norris Trophy-winning Victor Hedman with the Lightning, and he now has the chance to claim the No. 1 defenseman role with the young Utah team.

“He’s certainly going to get an opportunity to do that. I think that’s what he wants,” Armstrong said. “We’ll see how it progresses.”

Before arriving in Utah, Sergachev started his training earlier than usual — this time, in May — to ensure he was feeling 100% healthy when he started this season.

Clayton Keller — Utah’s star forward — knows what it’s like entering training camp fresh off of injury. Keller broke his femur in March 2022 and had to get a rod surgically placed in his leg. After a long summer of rehabilitation, Keller had a career year in the 2022-23 season with 86 points (37 goals, 49 assists). Another reminder for Sergachev that excellence doesn’t stop after injury.

“I think that’s when you learn the most about yourself and I think I’m a better person because of it,” Keller said of his recovery. “I think after the first couple of games, you get comfortable. It’s kind of like when you’re out there everything else goes away, for me at least.”

Sergachev has looked like himself during the first week of Utah training camp — swift, physical, shifty and dynamic. With a fresh slate in front of him, Sergachev can define himself as a franchise defenseman for Utah. What’s more, he gets to play the game he loves again.

But it’s hard to wholly forget what he went through to make it to this point, especially when going for pucks along the boards.

“It was a very traumatic injury that everybody saw so it was kind of hard to go into battles a little bit at first,” Sergachev said. “I still have thoughts sometimes, but I try to get rid of them. Tell yourself that this was just a freak accident that happened and it will never happen again.”

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