"I didn't think it was broken," he said. "It hurt obviously, and it was bleeding quite a bit, but I was like, 'There's no chance it's broken.' So then the next day, I was like, 'I might as well just go get an X-ray just to see the doctor.' He's like, 'Yeah, but don't eat or drink anything just in case we need to do surgery, and have a ride just in case.' I'm like, 'OK, but I'm not going to. I'm not going to need surgery.'
"We go into the X-ray and he's like, 'Yeah, it's broken.' I'm like, 'OK, here we go.'"
It was just the latest in a string of unfortunate incidents that involved Werenski's noggin during the season. While none was sensational enough for his busted-up mug to end up on a T-shirt, like when he was struck in the face by a puck during the 2017 playoffs against Pittsburgh but returned to action, he did suffer a series of tough breaks.
He was out four different times during the second half of the season because of injuries, including a pair of injuries to his head area suffered in hits March 26 at Minnesota and April 17 at Anaheim.
"I'm excited to stop getting hit in the head. I've got too many of those lately," he deadpanned at the season-ending media interviews. "I don't know what happened. I had a target on my head this year. I've got a big head -- maybe that's part of it. I was getting some unlucky bounces there. Obviously it sucks because you want to play, but nothing you can do.
"I've got to do something this summer to make the hockey gods like me again."
Why the hockey gods would hold a grudge against one of the league's top-scoring defensemen remains unclear, but the hope is next year will be a much luckier one for a player the Blue Jackets feel is one of the elite blueliners in the league.
It was an important year for Werenski, who made a signal to the organization and its fanbase how much he wanted to lead the way last summer when he signed a six-year contract organization that made him one of the top-paid defensemen in the league.
And with the offseason trade of Seth Jones, a lot was put on Werenski's plate coming into the season. Not only would he be without the player who had been his defensive partner for most of his career, he'd be the unquestioned No. 1 defenseman and leader of the blue line given his extension. On top of that, he was honored by being chosen as an alternate captain for the first time in his career just before the season began.
"I feel like usually that kind of comes at, you know, different times -- assistant captain, No. 1 defenseman, new coaches," he said. "It comes throughout a career. Mine kind of just happened all at once. Dealing with that was a little difficult at times for me, just trying to learn all the minutes, that No. 1 D role, different situations, being a leader.
"But I couldn't have been happier with how much I learned this season and just excited for the future, now knowing how hard it is to play those minutes every single night, back-to-back. I don't think I could have learned any more than I did this year."
That would have to be music to the ears of his head coach Brad Larsen, who sees someone who is coming into his own as a player the Jackets depend upon every day not just on the ice but in the room.
"We're always gonna want more from Zach," Larsen said. "He almost had 50 points. He's playing through injuries, but it's the first time he's been a leader. It's the first time he's taken on 27-plus minutes and he is the No. 1 guy, so what is the exciting thing with him is I think there was a tremendous amount of growth.
"There's a whole lot more for him to grow, and he's navigating through it, too, 'Well, how do I do this as a number No. 1? How do I do this as a leader?' "
Werenski spoke all season about how this was a learning process, and he felt at the end of the year what he went through would be invaluable going forward. He turned in a solid effort all the way around with a career-high 48 points on 11 goals and 37 assists, with the point total third all-time in a season among CBJ defensemen. He also averaged 25:40 of ice time per game, tied for sixth in the NHL and third in a season in team history.
His offensive abilties will always separate Werenski from many of the other defensemen in the game, but his all-around game continues to improve as he tries to push the Jackets back into the playoff push.
"There were definitely peaks and valleys, personally in my game, as a team," he said. "Individually, I took a step forward this year. I'm excited to get back in the gym in a month or so and get back on the ice and work on some things and get ready to get back here next year. It's an exciting time for this organization."
