Sekera credits dad for strong work ethic

Andrej Sekera’s dad has been a coal miner in Slovakia, so he knows about commitment to look after his family, just as the Edmonton Oilers defenceman knows about digging deep to look after his injured body, which is why he’s the team’s Masterton Trophy nominee.

The Masterton is awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Last year, Brian Boyle, who overcame a cancer diagnosis, took home the award.

“I learned about working hard from my dad,” said Sekera, who tore the ACL in his left knee in May 2017 in the playoffs against Anaheim and went through hours of rehab to struggle through 36 games with a knee brace in the 2017-18 season, then ripped his right Achilles last summer in training.

He battled back to play his 18th game Tuesday against Los Angeles.

Sekera, 32, played his first game this season Feb. 19, and has been very good in a third pairing with Matt Benning, calming things down, playing more than 16 minutes a night. Nobody has spent more time in the gym, on the ice, working his way back after his career was in serious jeopardy.

“I definitely thought about that for about 15 minutes. I was 31, with an ACL, then the Achilles. I thought it might be a rough ending to my career, but I’m a positive guy. I was definitely mad (about the Achilles injury) after what I went through with my knee, but I pictured the long road and knew what lay ahead,” the Oilers blueliner said.

“I was changing direction (short sprints toward a cone), felt a snap, and my Achilles was about 95 per cent torn, it (the tendon) was barely hanging on,” he said. “I knew (former NHLer) Andrej Meszaros had done exactly the same thing in a summer workout, though, and he was out six months, came back. I talked to him.”

Sekera, as he said, learned hard work from his dad, who played second-division hockey, and his mom, who worked in a bakery.

“Where I grew up there were four coal mines in a 20-mile radius. When I was four or five years old, though, he went to Germany to build tunnels, railways and highways, and also Italy, Finland, Norway, all over the map, trying to support the family,” Sekera said.

RIEDER STILL SEARCHING FOR FIRST GOAL

Leon Draisaitl feels for his German countryman Tobias Rieder, looking for his first goal and on the ice late in the rout of the Kings. The fans are oohing and ahhing with every close chance, as they did with Milan Lucic last year.

“It’s good to see him getting support (fans), we’re all rooting for him,” Draisaitl said.

Connor McDavid said the team may be rooting more for Draisaitl to get his 50 than Draisaitl is.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know where I was goal-wise,” said Draisaitl, who has 46, three back of Alex Ovechkin, the only guy in the last six years who has hit 50.

“I feel like I’m scoring almost every game and I’m not even close (50).

“What did (Steve) Stamkos score one year? Sixty? I don’t know how that’s possible,” Draisaitl said.