Evgeny Kuznetsov’s NHL career has seemingly come to an end, as the former Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes forward signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg to return to his home country of Russia.

The 32-year-old struggled last season, as he recorded just 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 63 games. He also entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in February, almost exactly a month before his trade to Carolina.

In a new interview with Sport-Express, Kuznetsov revealed that the reason for his struggles last season was due to a scary situation with an autoimmune disease.

“I had rheumatoid arthritis, I took pills and injections all year,” Kuznetsov said, per Russian Machine Never Breaks. “Then I stopped taking them, it felt good, nothing hurt. I haven’t taken anything for three months and I feel great, I run, I work out in the gym.

“They couldn’t figure out for a year why I couldn’t sleep. I could only manage two hours a day,” Kuznetsov said. “I’m not one to complain, but I had to, and no one really believed me. The general manager didn’t even know that I had been suffering all year.”

According to the National Health Institute, reumatoid arthiritis is defined as “a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disease that mostly affects joints.” It causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in the joints. That’s hard enough for the average person, let alone a professional athlete.

At the very least, returning to Russia provides a chance for a fresh start, and Kuznetsov is ready to take full advantage of that opportunity.

“Many people close to me are waiting for me to s— myself,” Kuznetsov said. “I’ve never had the motivation to personally prove to myself that I’m the best. But now I have the motivation to prove it to them.

“This situation is the most treacherous thing, when people dream of my failure. But it’s cool – it’s addictive, motivating. I haven’t forgotten how to play hockey. That’s the most important thing.”