Blue Jackets forward undergoes surgery after gruesome injury to his face

James Van Riemsdyk has been around the block in the NHL once or twice.

The 35-year-old has appeared in over 1000 regular-season NHL games and a full season's worth of playoff contests as well.

As such, just about everything that can happen to a player in a game has happened to him.

He's blocked shots that stung him, he's been blown up with huge hits, he's taken sticks to places you really don't want one and so much more.

On Friday, he once again was the victim of a classic hockey foul, the high stick.

This one was particularly bad though as it left him missing multiple teeth and required 30 stitches to repair.

However, the 35-year-old once again proved how tough he is, as he was right back on the ice after getting the dental work done and getting a cage fitted to his helmet.

In fact, at one point, he was on the ice with a piece of tooth stuck in his lip as a post-game x-ray revealed his dentist had accidentally sewed a piece of tooth into it.

Despite this, JVR returned to the game and even contributed on the scoresheet for the team.

Now, he will be playing again tonight as the Blue Jackets take on the Dallas Stars.

The injury was so bad it even required root canals and a bone graft to fix his jaw.

And yet, he still refuses to take any time off.

This morning, JVR was seen practicing with his teammates with a fishbowl-style helmet attachment, protecting his face.

The Blue Jackets have been one of the bigger surprises in the NHL this season as they currently hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Be sure to follow the team to see if their unlikely journey to the playoffs will continue.