When recalling the swap that the Hurricanes and the Blackhawks made during the 2016 offseason, Teuvo Teravainen was the most impactful piece of the deal, terrorizing defenses for eight seasons as a Hurricane. While Teravainen made plenty of memories with the team, Bryan Bickell had one moment that will live forever as one of the most heart-warming.
Drafted by the Blackhawks 41st overall in 2004, Bickell made his NHL debut almost three years later, scoring his first goal in his first game. Bickell saw a little more time with the team in 2009-10, playing 16 games during the regular season and four more in the postseason as the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Bickell received a ring with his teammates, but his name wasn't inscribed on the Cup.
While he took his omission in 2010 in stride, Bickell would get the last laugh. After joining the team full-time in 2010-11, Bickell set his career benchmarks that season with 17 goals and 37 points. He was part of two more Stanley Cup teams, scoring the game-tying goal in 2013 with 1:16 left in regulation in Game 6 before Chicago struck again 17 seconds later to beat the Bruins.
Symptoms consistent with vertigo forced Bickell to miss five of the six games during the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. The Blackhawks defeated the Lightning in six games, giving Bickell his third ring. His health issues persisted through the next season. An unsuccessful trade attempt led to Bickell landing on waivers and spending much of the year in the AHL before being shipped to Raleigh.
Bickell's Hurricanes tenure was cut short by a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis
Bickell began 2016-17 near the bottom of the lineup, playing under ten minutes on most nights. He scored his first goal as a Hurricane on October 28th, striking on the power play with less than a second remaining in the second period against Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers. The goal stood as the game-winner in a 3-2 victory.
After playing less than five minutes in the team's next game against the Flyers, Bickell's health concerns reached a crescendo. On November 11th, the Hurricanes announced that Bickell had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. While Bickell offered hope for a return, it was the last thing on anyone's mind.
"Since the 2015 playoffs, I've been struggling to understand what was going on with my body...Obviously this is a bit of a shock for my family and me, but I am hopeful I will be able to return to the ice and continue playing the game that I love."Bryan Bickell, on MS diagnosis
Two months after his diagnosis, Bickell was back on the ice with his teammates, practicing in a non-contact jersey. There appeared to be a plan in place to get him back on the ice in a game capacity. Bickell suited up for ten games with the Charlotte Checkers, scoring a goal and three assists during his conditioning stint. This prepared him to rejoin the Canes for the final few contests.
On April 4th, with the Hurricanes already outside of a playoff spot, Bickell made his long-awaited return against the Minnesota Wild. He played 12:35 in a 5-3 loss. He played almost ten minutes in his return to Raleigh two days later as the Hurricanes were shut out 3-0 by the New York Islanders.
The morning before the home finale against the St. Louis Blues, his teammates surprised him by donning #BickellBrave shirts at a Walk MS event, showing their support for an incredible cause. That same day, Bickell announced that the weekend's back-to-back against St. Louis and Philadelphia would be the final two games of his NHL career. The Canes lost 5-4 in a shootout to the Blues.
All of this leads to his final game in Philadelphia. The story early in the game was Brock McGinn, who scored the team's first two goals, giving the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead midway through the third period. Two goals 1:07 apart by the Flyers blasted them into the lead, but Sebastian Aho scored on the power play with 5:10 left to send the season finale to overtime, where a shootout would be required again.
Bickell's fight boils down to one incredible moment
Head Coach Bill Peters, who regretted not using Bickell in the shootout the night before, wasted little time sending him over the boards in Philly. This was just the second shootout attempt of his career, missing his only other chance with the Blackhawks. After Eddie Lack stopped Jordan Weal to kick things off, Bickell took his turn.
Entering the zone with speed, Bickell didn't wait to make a fancy move against Flyers netminder Anthony Stolarz. From between the dots, Bickell snapped a wicked shot off the glove-side post and into the net to put the Canes ahead. The only thing better than watching his teammates celebrate on the bench was seeing his wife, Amanda, celebrating with their daughter in the crowd.
Claude Giroux ruined the perfect moment by tying the shootout on the next shot, but McGinn saved the night on the final attempt, capping his big night with the shootout winner to end the season on the right foot. The team exploded off the bench and surrounded Bickell again, sending him into retirement the right way.
Bickell was honored at the NHL Awards ceremony in June before signing a one-day contract to officially retire as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. The team recognized him during their 2017-18 season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 10-1 victory for Chicago.
While his time in a Canes sweater was short, I still fondly remember watching Bickell's shootout goal over eight years later. It was one of the most remarkable moments of the Bill Peters era, a time with more bad moments than good. Bickell's NHL legacy will be remembered for his fighting spirit and the journey he made to finish his career with one more beautiful moment.