Matt Duchene's World Cup dream was nearly over before it started.

A routine play during practice with Team Canada on Sept. 13 in Pittsburgh nearly sent Duchene home from the World Cup of Hockey. Instead, the way he rallied should serve as inspiration to kids everywhere.

When you want something badly enough, when your passion is that high, you can find ways to fight through pain and adversity.

"It was the last drill in practice the day before the Russia game," Duchene told ESPN.com. "We were just doing a 2-on-2 battle drill. I barely got bumped. The puck got cycled back to me behind the net, and I think it was Shea Weber who bumped me. But he barely bumped me, he kind of just pinned me. And just the way I went in, my shoulder pad slid, I think. And I hit my AC joint right on the divider in the glass. Immediately I felt a shock of pain.''

He sat on the bench for a moment, had the trainer look at it, then went out for one last drill.

It was worse.

"It was like a shock,'' Duchene said. "I was sick to my stomach and my arm was numb. It was very painful. I was devastated. I couldn't believe it.''

It was a separated shoulder, just four days before Canada's World Cup opener in Toronto. This cannot be happening, Duchene thought to himself.

Less than a week after injuring his shoulder, Matt Duchene scored twice to help Canada eliminate Team USA from the World Cup. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

"It was a huge honor to make that team. It's something I'd worked toward for a couple of years," said the 25-year-old native of Haliburton, Ontario. "I remember sitting on the training table. I could barely move my arm, and I was fighting back tears because I was so upset.''

That's when the team doctor told him they would look at it the next day but that they might have to make a tough decision.

"Immediately I could feel myself welling up a little bit," Duchene said. "I said to him, 'As long as this thing won't get worse and I can't hurt it any more, there's no way you guys are sending me home. I'll do whatever it takes to be able to play. Whatever we need to do. I know I can fight through it. I worked too hard to be here.' I was trying not to cry while I was saying this.''

Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic was kept apprised, Duchene said. The shoulder improved each day, to the point where, with a little work from the trainers before each game, Duchene could get on the ice. He could play through the pain while not risking further injury because of extra padding.

"They did such a great job with me, just getting me ready every day," Duchene said of Team Canada's medical and training staff. "By the time the Czech Republic game rolled around, I had it taped up pretty good. I had it really padded for most of the tournament just to protect it. I felt so lucky, like I made the team all over again. Because I was scared after the pain I felt that first day and wasn't sure what was going to happen.''

It was sore, to be sure, but didn't affect his play, Duchene said.

"I would tweak it five or six times a game, but it's something I could battle through and it didn't really take away from how I felt," he said. "So was I able to play at 100 percent throughout the tournament. I wasn't restricted, especially once I got it warmed up.''

You certainly couldn't tell anything was wrong on Sept. 20 when Duchene scored twice to lead Team Canada past Team USA 4-2 in a huge win.

"That was very special," Duchene said. "I kind of knew where my family was sitting and I scored both goals in front of them. That was a surreal moment in my career. It's something I'll never forget.''

As he celebrated a World Cup championship with his Canadian teammates last Thursday night, he couldn't help but wonder, What if?

"Had I been sitting at home Thursday night watching the game, I would been happy for the guys but I would have been devastated that I wasn't a part of it with them, given that I was already there,'' he said.

Instead, he headed back to Denver with the memory of a lifetime.