Minnesota Wild forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard sidelined after injury – NHL Update
In what seems to be a disappointing development, Minnesota Wild placed forward, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, on the injured reserve after the player began to feel concussion-like symptoms yet again.
Minnesota’s general manager, Chuck Fletcher, confirmed on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, that Bouchard is out and refrained from giving any date for his potential return.
Bouchard has been unlucky when it comes to concussion.
A couple of years ago, he was forced to miss a complete season owing to this injury. Over the course of last three seasons, he missed 104 games.
During the game against Winnipeg Jets, Bouchard was checked into the boards by Jets’ defenseman, Zach Bogosian. Bouchard received facial injuries including a broken nose and was forced out of the next two games.
On his return, he scored four goals in next eight games, but his impressive run had to come to a stop yet another time.
While playing against Vancouver Canucks last week, Bouchard received an elbow hit and started to feel concussion-like symptoms.
According to different reports, Bouchard was not feeling well since the game against the Jets. However, he continued to play after resting for two games, but another hit has really jeopardised his chances of return.
"We were cautious how we described it to the media," Fletcher said. "He did have a groin pull, as well. We wanted him to come back, take a few days and see our doctor before we officially used the 'concussion' word. It seems to be a scary term right now."
It will be hard for Minnesota, which is ranked seventh in the Western Conference, to bear the loss.
Fletcher has also said that he would try to fill in the void created after Bouchard’s absence.
Bouchard has played 37 games this season in which he scored nine goals and managed 13 assists.
"We'll continue to look for solutions," Fletcher said.
"But the important thing is the long-term health of Pierre-Marc. He was playing very well this year and is a key part of our team. It's a significant blow on a lot of different levels, both for him and our hockey team."
It is hard to tell when and if Bouchard will return. Suffering from concussion is a common complain received from the players involved in physical sports like hockey, but players marking return after this injury are random.
Suffering from concussion can lead to severe brain injuries or death in some cases, and the players are well aware of it.
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