It was weeks before the Olympics when the Swedish St. Louis forward fell in a melee with Connor McDavid at the boards in an NHL game, and the star's skate cut his left ankle.
"I was lucky in my misfortune. I cut my entire ankle open, so I was very lucky that it missed everything - the Achilles tendon and such. I had six stitches on the inside and eight on the outside, so it went all the way down," he says after one of Tre Kronor's training sessions in the World Cup city of Fribourg.
The Boden-born forward, who has won two Stanley Cup titles, is making his World Cup debut at the age of 32.
Injuries behind World Cup absences
The defensive, physical forward has had a career plagued by injuries, which have kept him out of World Cups in the past.
"That's how it's been. There have been a lot of injuries that have held me back. I've felt that when you've been semi-injured and you can't perform at your best, you might not want to expose yourself and the team to that. This year, everything feels really good," says Sundqvist, who won the Swedish Championship gold medal with Skellefteå in 2014 and left for the NHL a year later.
His first Stanley Cup title came with Pittsburgh, the second with St. Louis.
Now his contract is expiring, but he has chosen to play in the World Cup.
"First of all, it's my first World Cup. I feel healthy and fit, which makes me very hungry."
Sundqvist has been linked with Luleå and newcomer Björklöven, but he is committed to continuing to play in the NHL.
"First and foremost, the goal is to stay over there. I don't really think about it now. The focus is fully on this team; after the World Cup you can start thinking about it."
"Won't see them"
The mix of the young Junior World Championship gold medalists and experienced players appeals to Sundqvist.
"We have some young guys who are really skilled and some older guys who have played a lot of important games in their careers. It's a really good mix. It's a really fun group to hang out with," says Sundqvist.
He is full of praise for the juniors.
"It's hard to put into words. They are absolutely fantastic, incredibly good hockey players. I don't think you'll see them again in Sweden for many years," he says.
