Skip to content

Wife of Red Wings' Franzen details husband's struggle with brain injury

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Things haven't been easy for Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen's family.

The 38-year-old hasn't played since Oct. 10, 2015 - the second game of an attempted comeback from a concussion suffered in January 2015.

His wife, Cissi Franzen, recently wrote a blog post about the struggles Johan and the family have endured as he continues to struggle with post-concussion syndrome.

He's been going thru an intensive treatment program at Marcus Brain Health Institute, and this last week was a family week where I joined in for a lot of sessions. He's still dealing with post-concussion syndrome, and the last months have been really bad. Something needed to happen and I'm so thankful we found this new amazing place. It opened up in March and they treat veterans and athletes with brain traumas. Johan was actually their very first athlete.

Cissi further detailed the hardships she and her husband faced during his time in treatment.

Living with a husband with a brain injury is not easy, it's like a rollercoaster. But I am doing my best to get us to a better place, not only for us and but also for our amazing boys that deserve the best.

While a return to the NHL for Johan seems improbable, he still has two years left on his 11-year, $43.5-million contract with the Red Wings. During his 602-game career, the Swedish forward has 187 goals and 370 points.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox