On October 15, 2013 Dan Boyle received an incredibly dirty hit from Maxim Lapierre. He was carried off on a stretcher and his career as a San Jose Shark effectively ended that night. Sure, he came and played 75 games in the 2013-14 season with San Jose but the veteran defender was never the same after that hit.
He joined the New York Rangers in free agency the following season as the Sharks didn’t express interest in retaining him. That was a good move, but it definitely hurt. Boyle was more than a great defender for the Sharks — he was the heart and soul of a very talented blue line.