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11-year-old field hockey player dies after receiving puck in throat
Credit: That's about the number of pucks that have crossed the opposing line in 11 games!

I don’t know if you’ve been following the story, but on Tuesday, an 11-year-old boy suffered a serious hockey accident. In Saint-Eustache, the field hockey player received a puck in the neck area. He was between life and death.

Sadly, the Saint-Eustache Police Department today announced that the young man had died as a result of his injury. The news broke in the last few minutes.

Our thoughts are of course with his family and loved ones.

At the moment, we seem to think that the young boy was the victim of an accident. There is nothing to suggest that the 11-year-old field hockey player’s death was intentional.

The ongoing investigation will shed light on all this.

Witnesses to the accident will have access to psychological support resources. After all, for the little guys who saw him get hurt on the sidelines, it must be traumatic.

We understand the impact of this event on those who witnessed it, as well as on parents, volunteers and all those who support our young field hockey players. – Jean-Philippe Labrèche, President, Association de hockey mineur de Saint-Eustache

Obviously, even if the situation isn’t exactly the same, we have to make links with the death of Adam Johnson, who died in England after suffering a cut to his neck.

This has brought back to the forefront the debate about mandatory neck protection for guys playing pro hockey. After all, when you watch the guys on TV, their necks are often exposed and endangered in hockey.

The incredibly sad example of Saint-Eustache shows us once again that a hockey player can’t have too much protection on the ice.

Let’s hope situations like this don’t happen again in the future.


In gusto

– He’s doing well.

– That’s a good one.

– Imagine if it had been in French…

– Steven Stamkos: in wait mode.

– He takes advantage of his off-season to spend time with his father.

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