Tougher than Tough

The above is a link of Eric Belanger losing 8 teeth during last nights game against Montreal. Reports out of KCI this morning are that Belanger lost 7 or 8 teeth, and had a dental procedure similar to that of a root canal in between periods. Remarkably, Eric came back and finished the game logging 10:16 of total ice time for the evening. Belanger's return to the game last night demonstrated how tough hockey players are, and yes even French Canadians.

Belanger's toothless return to the ice rivals the comeback performances of Patrick Thoreson and Ryan Malone. Thoreson gained serious notoriety around Verizon Center when he blocked a Mike Green slap shot with his nuts and then preceded to play two nights later. Ryan Malone, as one hockey commentator put it, "his face exploded" after being hit with a slap shot in the Cup Finals. As you would expect from an American kid, Ryan Malone returned to the ice that night.

Clips of both of those incidents are embedded below.