Red Wings’ Robby Fabbri knows what it takes to bounce back from torn ACL

Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri has suffered three torn ACLs. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)
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Robby Fabbri skated into the corner for a puck battle, felt his leg twist awkwardly behind him and knew it was bad.

“I felt what I felt before and I knew right away when it happened,” Fabbri said.

The Detroit Red Wings forward suffered a third torn ACL in five years in that March 10 game against Minnesota, leading to surgery five weeks ago and another long and arduous recovery.

It is extraordinarily bad luck – Fabbri doesn’t know of anyone who has suffered three ACL tears. The lifting of spirits in the aftermath is something he is accustomed to, unfortunately.

“Life is always going to throw curveballs at you. The less you dwell on that and the more you move forward the easier things get,” Fabbri said. “Those first few days were emotional for me and my family. It’s not only me that has been through these injuries; my family has been there through it all and my fiancée. It was tough on all of us. I haven’t been emotional like that in a long time. I got it out of the way the first few days and then put my head down and went to work.”

He has been working out daily at Little Caesars Arena. His status for the start of training camp in mid-September is uncertain.

“We’re going to play it by ear,” Fabbri said. “The goal is to get back as soon as possible but doing it the right way and doing it safe and making sure this is the last time.

“With this kind of process, it’s slow, it’s day by day, you listen to the knee, and you progress as much as the knee is going to allow. Unfortunately, going through this I know what to expect and not to set goals and dates because each surgery is different and each person going through it is different.

“I got all the knowledge I need to work through this and move forward.”

Fabbri suffered a torn left ACL midway through his second season in St. Louis in 2016-17. While preparing to come back the following year, he tore the same knee ligament and sat out all of 2017-18.

This time the damage was to his right knee.

“It’s no walk in the park,” he said. “I had some very down moments in my last surgeries and some good moments. You kind of figure out what works for you and how to get yourself through those tough times where you feel like things are plateauing and moving slow. It’s a whole process to it and a lot of it’s mental.”

That is where having a strong support group helps.

“Between my fiancée at home, my dogs and my family back in Toronto, they’re a big part of it,” Fabbri said. “The minute I feel down I’ll hop on Facetime with someone, or I’ll go grab a coffee or a drink with my fiancée and just get your mind off things. There’s more to life than just hockey, so it’s good to step away mentally sometimes.”

Fabbri resurrected his career following a trade to Detroit in November 2019, in part because he played tenacious, not tentative, and earned a spot in the top six with his offensive ability. The three-year, $12 million contract he signed in December kicks in next season, and Fabbri is confident he will return to playing the same way he did before the injury.

“I don’t think it’s in me as a person or player to take a step back and not play as hard or as fearless as I do,” Fabbri said. “Playing that way has gotten me to where I am now. It’s going to continue to move me forward through my career and as a player.

“I know what to do to make sure I’m going to be back and ready and playing at the level I know I can play at. That just comes with grinding and working. It’ll be a tough summer, but these are things that create character. You want to prove something to yourself going through something like this. It’s unfortunate to do it again but I’m not worried about it.”

He ditched the crutches and brace a week ago and can drive and walk around freely, making life easier, not having to rely so much on others, he said.

Unfortunately, no golf for him this summer.

“I’ll be watching some YouTube videos, working on my swing mentally,” he said.

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