Connecting Hall of Fame Athletes With World-Class Care: NHL’s Chris Pronger and Renowned Hand Surgeon Dr. Tom Graham Talk Sports Medicine and Athlete Mindset

At the height of Chris Pronger’s hockey career as one of the game’s greatest defensemen in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the St. Louis Blues, he was dealing with chronic pain and limited mobility because of a nightstick fracture and two unsuccessful surgeries. He was unable to rotate his left forearm which made grabbing a hockey stick nearly impossible. 

“I was at a crossroads thinking that I would have to retire,” Pronger says. 

While Pronger was no stranger to injuries as a professional athlete, he knew it would take the right orthopedic sports medicine physician on his team and a resilient mindset to get back on the ice. 

Pronger’s path crossed with Thomas Graham, MD, hand surgeon and Chief of Jefferson Orthopedics and Physician in Chief of Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, almost 25 years ago.

He felt hopeful after meeting Dr. Graham who recommended the Darrach procedure, the resection of the end of the ulna bone – a potentially career-saving surgery. Dr. Graham estimated Pronger would be back in about three to four months depending on his progress in rehabilitation. That time frame seemed realistic to Pronger, who was eager to get back on the rink.

However, no other professional athletes had this procedure done before and returned to elite play. The stakes were high – going through with the surgery was a huge decision but without it Pronger’s career may not have continued. 

Dr. Graham and Pronger worked closely to develop a plan of action – sharing everything from each other’s thoughts, concerns, recommendations and goals. That doctor-patient relationship they built was a critical part of the equation.

“As an athlete, you want to be guided perfectly,” Pronger says. 

Dr. Graham laid out the procedure from beginning to end including what rehabilitation could look like in the weeks following. Building that unwavering trust with patients begins with transparency. 

“Part of our responsibility in caring for the world’s most-elite athletes like Chris Pronger is to give them the truth. This is about their career,” Dr. Graham says. 

Pronger recalled the moment he came out of surgery was “almost a miracle.” The plate in his forearm from previous surgeries was removed and the pain was gone.

A successful surgery was just the beginning of the marathon of rehabilitation and training required to get back on the ice. Professional athletes must be back to performing at the 100th percentile after an injury. That only happens with intentionality from start to finish. 

“I wanted to do everything I humanly could do to be on the ice,” Pronger says. 

And he did. He chose a world-class doctor, remained disciplined in rehab and focused on building a resilient mindset. That meant letting go of a victim’s mentality and embracing the challenges that came with not only this injury but also the countless sprains and broken bones that followed. 

Pronger says his injuries gave him a greater understanding of the grit needed to return to playing at the highest level. 

“When you go through difficult moments, that’s where the growth happens. I look at adversity as a gift. You’re growing, you’re evolving and you’re getting better,” Pronger says. 

After his Darrach procedure (resection of the end of the ulna bone), he went on to play another 10 years in the NHL – won a Stanley Cup and a second Olympic gold medal and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He finished his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, including in 2010 when he helped the Flyers advance to the Stanley Cup final.

Throughout his career, Dr. Graham has cared for over 2,500 professional athletes. He has translated the experience gained from getting elite athletes back in the game to the everyday practice of hand surgery. 

“Working in the unique ‘laboratory’ of professional sports for three decades has allowed me to truly introduce things into the practice of hand surgery at Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute that have changed the face of how we take care of schoolteachers, lawyers and factory workers. We pioneered their orthopedic care by working with folks like Chris Pronger,” Dr. Graham says.