The Joni Pitkanen injury is seared into my mind. On April 2, 2013, in what amounted to a meaningless game in the last month of the season, Pitkanen raced down the ice for an icing call and was checked into the boards by Troy Brouwer. His injury, a broken heel, was described as a race car injury, because it takes such a large force to cause.
I remember watching the game with my brother, who is a Caps fan. Without saying anything he walked upstairs and came back and handed me a drink. He knew Pitkanen was one of my favorite players (I have a soft spot for defensemen), and we knew it was serious.