At this time of year, injuries to hockey players are about as common as nibbled mouth guards. But for some, the ailments go beyond bumps and bruises.

In an injury that can only be described as gruesome, Edina’s Max Everson had surgery on Feb. 11 for a dislocated left wrist.

“When I first saw it, I thought I was done, just from the way it looked,” Everson said.

But the senior defenseman missed only four games, and showed few signs of rust Thursday in the Hornets’ quarterfinal victory over Blaine.

“There are some limitations with shooting the puck,” Everson said. “But nothing you can’t work around. Just pass instead of shoot, right?”

That’s what happened Thursday — sort of.

Everson was credited with the primary assist on Michael Sit’s first-period goal. But Sit tipped Everson’s monster slapshot for a 1-0 lead.

“It feels good to be able to contribute,” he said.

Everson isn’t alone in playing state tournament games while on the mend.

Lakeville North goaltender Charlie Lindgren missed eight games because of a back injury sustained in a rollover car accident on Christmas Eve.

He was merging onto Interstate Hwy. 35 in Lakeville when his vehicle hit a patch of ice, sending it off the road.

Lindgren thought he had made it through the accident unscathed. He played in the Panthers’ next six games after the incident but was later diagnosed with clay-shoveler’s fracture — a break in the upper spine.

“Now I’m 100 percent,” he said. “I wouldn’t have played [at state] if I wasn’t 100 percent.”

Physically, yes. But Lindgren still has yet to drive on the highway.

“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through,” he said.