"It was a stirring moment" - Jon Cooper on Mikhail Sergachev's reception by home crowd after his return from a fractured leg injury

Mikhail Sergachev made his return to the ice during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers. The player received a huge reception from the home crowd at Amalie Arena in a game they won 6-3.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach John Cooper was asked when he knew Sergachev was ready to make a return to the lineup. In response, he said:

“You can tell when a player is ready and when a player is not ready. Yesterday, we knew he was ready. I just wanted to check the box today when he showed up. I've seen it time and time again. It's the look in the eye and he was a believer.”

The coach went on to mention the massive homecoming that Mikhali Sergachev received from the crowd.

“Did you hear the introduction? In a normal introduction, you hear all of the players names, there is a cheer, it gets to Vasilevskiy, and there's a massive cheer,” Cooper said. “I could not hear the PA guy say Vasilevskiy's name. The roar just kept going on. All the guys on our bench got up. It was a stirring moment and I thought we carried that right into the first period.”

For all that’s worth, the Tampa Bay Lightning dodged elimination in Game 4 by securing the much-needed victory at home. Mikhail Sergachev got an assist to his name in the 17 minutes he spent on the ice since fracturing his tibia and fibula on Feb. 7.

---

Mikhail Sergachev opens up on ice return

After the victory on Saturday, Sergachev and Co. seemed in much better spirits than they had been over the last few days. Speaking in a post-game presser, the Lightning defenceman thanked fans for the welcome cheer.

Sergachev shared that he had learned he could play on Saturday just the day before. The doctors cleared him, and it was up to the coach. The warm welcome from the fans during warmup was emotional for him, and he expressed gratitude for being back and for his teammates.

"It felt great. The fans were very loud for me and I appreciate that a lot. I felt like a hockey player again. It was unbelievable. Thank you,” Mikhail Sergachev said.

Sergachev also mentioned that witnessing his team's initial struggles was tough after his injury. He initially aimed to return earlier but had setbacks.

Now that the player has recovered, he will be looking to contribute his best performances in the next game. The Lightning will need all the help they can get in Game 5 if they want to avoid elimination.