An incredibly scary incident took place in Anaheim, California last Tuesday. Before the entire hockey world was shaken to its core, a game between the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks was just over halfway into the opening period.
Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester skated to the St. Louis bench after completing a shift. While sitting down during a television timeout, Bouwmeester collapsed. His teammates around him immediately knew something was seriously wrong.
Blues’ defenseman Vince Dunn was sitting next to Bouwmeester when he went down in a heap. He immediately started frantically waving his arms to get the attention of the medical staff. Blues’ Captain Alex Pietrangelo was skating towards the bench right as Bouwmeester collapsed. Once he looked down to see his fallen teammate, he instantly started to call for help as well.
Everyone capable and qualified to assist came over right away. Trainers from the Blues and Ducks all made their way to the end of the Blues’ bench and EMTs had a stretcher ready in seconds.
While Bouwmeester was being attended to, players from both teams gathered around on the ice. Two Ducks players, Captain Ryan Getzlaf and forward Nicolas Deslauriers, talked to Blues forward Ryan O’Reilly and defenseman Colton Parayko for a moment. The sight was nothing short of surreal.
After a few minutes, Bouwmeester was taken away on a stretcher down the Blues’ tunnel. Both teams went into their respective locker rooms. The rest of the contest was postponed to a later date. On Sunday, it was decided the game will resume March 11th.
The St. Louis Blues released an official statement Wednesday, the next day. They announced Bouwmeester, “suffered a cardiac episode and collapsed on our bench.” They went on to say, “He was alert and moving all of his extremities as he was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center.”
On Friday, St. Louis announced Bouwmeester had, “undergone a successful Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) procedure at UC Irvine Medical Center in Anaheim.”
Many split second decisions might have led to Bouwmeester living through this cardiac episode. First off, the Blues players did a tremendous job realizing the severity of the problem immediately. They did not hesitate to try and get the attention of the trainers and medical personnel. Who knows what might have happened had they waited even a few more seconds to call for help.
Also, the trainers and medical staff were completely prepared for this. The trainers for both teams got over to the fallen Blue in seconds. As this was during a television timeout, they definitely were not expecting to be called into action. Thank God they were ready and handled proper protocol.
Also, the NHL was right in postponing the rest of the game. The Blues were worried about not just their teammate’s health, but his life. This was not a player taking a puck off the face or banging his knee into the boards. This could very well have been a life or death situation. How could they possibly refocus their minds on scoring more goals than the Ducks? The idea of playing a game was so insignificant at the time.
The Blues were not the only ones shaken by the incident. The Ducks could not have wanted to continue playing that game either. While they are opponents on the ice, every professional sports league has aspects of sportsmanship. The Anaheim Ducks were just as concerned for Bouwmeester’s well-being. The last thing they want to see is a fellow NHL-er in a life-threatening situation.
As strange as it might be, this incident highlighted the tight-knit community that is the NHL.
The league is composed of approximately 620 active players each week. The 31 teams only get to dress 20 guys a game. Only the cream of the crop ever pull an NHL sweater over their head, so once you play at this level, you join a very special brotherhood. While other leagues have similar components, hockey can claim a few very distinct differences.
You are allowed to fight your opponent and not get kicked out of the game. If you take a cheap shot, you have to answer for it.
Also, the relationships between opposing players are different than in the other leagues. After a brawl, the two combatants often congratulate the other. Good hits are occasionally acknowledged by the player picking himself up off the ice. After a playoff series, win or lose, you shake your rival’s hand.
The Ducks and Blues went from grizzled opponents to concerned friends in an instant. Neither team cared about the score or the standings at that time. While these men cross-check, slash, hit and punch each other on a nightly basis, the game will never outweigh their care for one another’s well-being.