After suffering a potential career-ending injury, Perrysburg’s Tanner Dickinson doubled down his dedication to becoming an elite hockey player.
In January of 2022, Dickinson broke his femur — the largest bone in the body — while playing in a game for the Soo Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League.
The Perrysburg native worked his way back to the ice and completed his first season of pro hockey last winter. Dickinson split the 2023-24 season between Orlando of the ECHL and Springfield of the American Hockey League.
Here are highlights from both stops:
Dickinson, a 22-year-old center, was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL draft and was on the rise in the organization. But in the blink of an eye, the prospect was dealt the devastating blow.
“I’m trying to make up for a lot of lost time,” Dickinson said. “It’s trending in the right direction now.”
Despite missing the entire 2022-23 season, Dickinson has participated in the Blues’ development camp three times — including this month.
“I’m one of the older guys now, so I feel a lot more comfortable,” Dickinson said. “It was nice to be one of the older guys there and help show the younger guys scenarios to help them be a little more comfortable.”
Dickinson started last season in the ECHL, where he played in 45 games for the Orlando Solar Bears. He produced 26 points with eight goals and 18 assists before earning a promotion to the AHL.
Orlando coach Matt Carkner was impressed by Dickinson's dedication.
“His work ethic and attitude in practice helped him gain the respect of the team,” Carkner said. “Tanner is a young player still finding his way in pro hockey. He has the ability to be a real good player in pro hockey for years to come.”
Dickinson was called up to Springfield and scored a goal in his first AHL game on Jan. 20 at Rochester. He then appeared in 15 of the team’s final 21 games.
His skating and shot were weapons he showcased throughout the season.
“He has a deceptive release that can fool goalies from far distances,” Carkner said. “He was very good at carrying the puck the length of the ice and would create off the rush with some highlight-type plays.”
Dickinson’s stock was on a steady rise after being drafted by the Blues. He had earned a spot on the U.S. National Junior Team. Then he posted six multi-point games for the Soo Greyhounds.
But in the third period of a game, he was skating quickly down the ice for the puck when he was shoved behind and tumbled hard into the boards, breaking his right femur.
Dickinson had no activity for the first five months after the first surgery. He got back on the ice to skate, but was not making very much progress. He then had a second surgery and was off the ice for a good while again.
He did most of his physical rehab at ProMedica Total Rehab-Wildwood in Toledo.
“It was pretty painful to try to get the range of motion back,” he said. “We’d be pushing on my leg trying to make it bend and my body was fighting it. But at the end of the day, I just want to play hockey, so I was definitely willing to do all of those things.”
It was a slow process.
“Week by week I got a little better. Finally, it got to the point where I was full range and it stopped bothering me,” he said. “The difference between me now last summer and this summer is huge.”
One thing Dickinson could control was his work ethic.
“When you can consistently show up and put your head down and just go to work and not really complain about anything, I think that goes a long way,” he said.
Dickinson, who is back in northwest Ohio this summer training, will return to the St. Louis Blues preseason camps at the end of August. Most of the feedback he has received from the St. Louis coaching staff is to continue his physical development.
“They want me to put on more muscle mass,” he said. “But they said I’m doing really well compared to this time last year. I’m just looking forward to getting to main camp.”
Dickinson earned bragging rights of sorts at the NHL development camp when he and Marc-Andre Gaudet won a pickleball tournament among the players.
“I’ve been playing in the summers with my buddies down in Orlando,” Dickinson said. “I got lucky to team up with [Gaudet]. Once we saw the teams, we knew we were going to win.”
Dickinson called his first full pro season a learning experience.
“With all that time off I had, I wasn’t around a team environment, and it took a while to get going again,” he said. “I was just trying to pick up good habits from older guys. But I know I’m pretty lucky to be playing at this point after that injury. I knew it was gonna take a little more time with all the time away.
“I feel way better now. I don’t notice the leg injury at all anymore at this point. So I’m just looking forward to what I can do this year.”
Carkner believes Dickinson has the tools to continue to advance up the line in the Blues’ organization.
“He needs to continue to work on his strength in battles and decision-making to take the next steps in pro hockey,” Carkner said.
There have been positives that Dickinson has taken from the recovery.
“I’m really lucky to be able to play every day and do something that I love,” he said. “I don’t want to take it for granted because it can be taken away from you at any time. So it definitely put some things in perspective.”
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