The top 5 injuries in Wild history (in my ever so humble opinion) continues now. The criteria for this list was either a surprising or shocking injury, one that missed a significant amount of time or both.

Here I come with number 3. Pierre Marc Bouchard’s Concussion(s).

First, the video evidence

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As you can see from the videos linked above, Bouchard sustained a hard hit from Nate Thompson on March 25, 2009. After suffering from what were termed as "flu like" symptoms, Bouchard was determined to have suffered a concussion. He played in the opening game of the 2009-2010 season and was shelved again with Post-concussion syndrome. He would not return to the ice until December 1^st 2009, after missing 104 games. He would be sidelined again slightly over a year after his return when he was driven into the boards by Zach Bogosain. That his would break his nose and give him his second concussion in 2 years. Again, I’ll let the video speak for itself.

To analyze the injury, we’ll first examine what a concussion is. A concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when the brain collides with or rotates within the inside of the skull. This can occur when there is a bump to the head or even to the body, as indicated in the first hit shown above. You do not need to lose consciousness to sustain a concussion. This can change the way your brain works. The changes to the brain can be physical, emotional, or manifest in thinking and remembering skills and sleep patterns.

Symptoms of a concussion can include difficulty thinking, difficulty concentrating and retaining new information, headache, blurry vision, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound, balance problems, fatigue, irritability, sadness, more emotional, nervousness or anxiety, and changes in sleep patterns. Bouchard admits that he had problems with sound and was given medication to help him sleep. He also had trouble with headaches, pressure (in his head) and fatigue.

The only treatment for a concussion is time, and so Bouchard was shut down by the Wild. He was able to eventually resume light workouts of walking, biking and swimming before he was able to start skating again, initially keeping his heart rate below 180 and avoiding contact. There were whispers of his return several times, but concussion experts kept advising him to wait. Finally he made his return on December 1, 2009 against the Phoenix Coyotes where he played 14 minutes in a 4-2 loss.

Just over a year later, he would be sidelined again by concussion symptoms in a game against the Jets when a hit by Zach Bogsain would drive him into the boards, breaking his nose. Bouchard would miss the rest of the season with a concussion/post concussion syndrome. At the date training camp was scheduled to start, he still had not been cleared to play by the Wild.