A visiting player is out of hospital and recovering after being involved in a life-threatening accident when a skate cut his neck during the third period of a Midget hockey game at the Ron Ebbesen Arena, Jan. 7.
When the player and his teammate realized he was bleeding, the player skated to the bench on his own and was followed into the dressing room by his coaching staff. In the dressing room, pressure was placed on the wound, the player was kept calm and an ambulance was called.
Greg Wing, general manager of Airdrie Minor Hockey, asked that the names of the player, his father, as well as the specific teams involved remain anonymous.
“My first reaction was ‘how is he and is he going to be alright?’ – and the answer to that is yes,” said Wing. “He is out of the hospital already and on his way to a full recovery, which is fantastic.”
According to Wing, a team comprised of both the visiting and Airdrie coaching staffs, as well as parents from both teams, took control of the situation immediately. The player was transported by ambulance to the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
“The Airdrie coach called 911, while other coaches were in the hallway blocking people from the scene while at the same time making sure the other players were quiet and in their respective dressing rooms,” Wing said.
“Everything goes out to the group of people that made this a local success story versus a national tragedy, because that’s what it was on the verge of becoming. If the story had taken a turn for the worse, my interviews would be with every TV station and newspaper across North America talking about how tragic this is. But it’s about how wonderful the parents on both sides reacted, how wonderful the young man reacted, and how composed he was, and the great response from the Airdrie medics. It was handled so well, so quick and so efficiently, that the staff at the arena didn’t even know that it had happened.”
Through St. Martin de Porres High School, counsellors will be made available to players from both teams.
Wing also said it is an opportunity for coaches, managers, parents and players to check their equipment and emergency preparedness.
“This is a great chance for teams to ensure that they have a proper first aid kit and have all the medical information on each player filled out and on the bench at all times,” he said.
