The date is Oct. 24, 2009, and the Philadelphia Flyers are leading the Florida Panthers 3-1 at the Wachovia Center.



David Booth, coming off a 30-goal campaign the previous season, has scored the Panthers’ only goal of the game. There’s a little over three minutes remaining in the second period, and the Detroit native is barreling through the neutral zone with the puck, when he crosses the blue line and turns his head ever so slightly as he makes a drop pass to teammate Stephen Weiss. This is when the shoulder of Flyers center Mike Richards connects with Booth’s head and obliterates his path, sending him to the ice in a grotesque spin.



This is the exact moment when David Booth’s career, and in many ways, his life, changed forever.



“Here comes David Booth. He has the Panther goal tonight — Oh, did he get hit hard. Oh my goodness. David Booth is down. He got hit high on the ice, and he hasn’t moved. Oh my...