Jack Eichel says he was not about to back down from his stance on choosing which neck surgery was right for him.
In an interview with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman just after he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights by the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, Eichel said he always believed he should have the final say on his neck injury.
“I just think, like anything else, isn’t it a constitutional right, you should have the right to your body,” Eichel said to Friedman in Buffalo. “That’s sort of what I stood by throughout this process. I’m not going to do something to myself that I don’t believe in. I’m not going to get surgery I don’t believe in. I feel like I’ve made it pretty clear. I’m the only person that has to live with this decision the rest of my life. I feel like I’m the only person that should make that decision. I don’t think someone else should make a decision for me on my body.”
Eichel favours having artificial disc replacement surgery while the Sabres were against him having the procedure because it has never been performed on an active NHL player, and wanted him instead to have the disc fused.
[radioclip id=5231903]The Golden Knights will allow Eichel to have the surgery of his choice.
“I just can’t wait to be a hockey player again,” Eichel said. “It’s an amazing, amazing fan base there. It’s an incredible atmosphere. Everyone in the world talks about it. I’m just really looking forward to being a part of that organization and just getting to play hockey again and doing what I love. I’m really excited for that moment.”
The full interview can be seen Thursday on Tim & Friends (5 p.m. ET) and Hockey Central (6:30 p.m. ET) on Sportsnet.
