Tomas Vokoun injury: Penguins goalie ‘nearly died’ from blood clots

Vokoun experienced a scary situation a few weeks ago when blood clots developed in his leg, which required immediate medical attention. While a varying degree of reports surfaced in the wake of the development, it was abundantly clear that the situation was serious. Fortunately, Vokoun appears to be recovering well, as he has been cleared to participate in light workouts. However, he won’t be able to fully return for quite sometime.

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Vokoun dealt with a situation where blood clots formed in his leg, which required immediate medical attention. The extent of the situation has yet to fully develop, but the seriousness of it has been evident from the start. A foreign report surfaced last week that raised questions about Vokoun’s future in the league. However, his agent, Allan Walsh, denied the accuracy of the quotes attributed to Vokoun.

Fortunately, Vokoun was seen walking around the facility, which is a positive sign all things considered.

The outlet iDNES.cz ran a report on Thursday that quoted Vokoun as saying that he nearly died after blood clots formed in his leg and that he was contemplating ending his career. The report was translated by TV NOVA Sport correspondent, Roman Jedlicka, and subsequently translated for SB Nation by a Czech language speaker.

Vokoun’s agent, Allan Walsh, stated on twitter that the quotes attributed to Vokoun are inaccurate:

Vokoun’s foot was sowllen, with blood clots from his mid-leg to his heart, which threatened his life. The goaltender stated that he was/still is contemplating whether to end his career and that he would be willing to do so if his doctors believe that is the best course of action, via Roman Jedlicka of TV NOVA Sport:

Vokoun has a history of blood clot issues, as he was diagnosed with pelvic thrombophlebitis in April of 2006. Obviously, his health is the most important component of this situation and he needs to make decisions based upon his quality of life. For the Penguins, this means the club needs to prepare for a potential future without Vokoun. Marc-Andre Fleury is the team’s biggest question mark entering this season and the safety net of Vokoun is, now, also in doubt.