Adam McQuaid, Boston Bruins
Adam McQuaid also was the beneficiary of the late start of the season due to lockout. He was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which was causing blood clots to form, including one that caused his right arm to swell. He was forced to undergo 2 serious operations in the offseason. The first was to remove the large blood clot from his arm, which then placed him on blood thinners. The second and more serious, was to remove a rib and some neck muscle tissue in order to give the body a chance to avoid these clots again. McQuaid is not a finesse player, and to come back from this type of set back and play the physical type of game he does, is very impressive. In 32 games, he finished with 62 hits, 43 blocked shots, and 60 PIMs, including 6 fighting majors.