Heffner, from St. Louis Athletic Training Services, has been a crucial figure in providing ATs for various hockey games since 1997.
His experience has exposed him to a myriad of injuries, emphasizing the danger lurking in the sharpness of skate blades.
“Skates are very sharp, and they cut without prejudice.”
Heffner recalled severe injuries involving wrists and behind-the-knee cuts affecting major arteries. The risk to players, coaches, referees, and even Athletic Trainers themselves has led to a broader discussion on player safety.
This debate intensified following the tragic death of Adam Johnson, a 29-year-old former Pittsburgh Penguin, during a game in England where his neck was accidentally cut by a skate blade.
In response to such incidents, the English Hockey Association has made neck guards mandatory from 2024. Similarly, Mid States director Ryan Harrison mentioned that the club currently highly recommends neck guards, a policy echoed by many other organizations in the sport. CBC coach John Jost and his son, senior player Matthew Jost, also support the mandatory use of neck guards, acknowledging the fear instilled by such accidents.
Heffner points out that the increasing speed and strength of players, particularly in high school, heighten these risks. He recalls a professional player preferring a broken leg over inadvertently injuring someone with skate blades – a sentiment not commonly shared among younger players today.
The gory experiences aren't just limited to leagues. In 1989, Buffalo Sabres’ goaltender Clint Malarchuk survived a neck cut, and Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik suffered a similar fate in 2008.
More recently, the death of 16-year-old Teddy Balkind in a high school game in Connecticut underscored the dangers at the amateur level.
To combat these risks, Heffner and his team undergo extensive training to handle such emergencies, ranging from neck lacerations to undiagnosed cardiac events. He strongly advocates for the use of neck guards and other protective equipment to safeguard players.
For Heffner, an uneventful night is a good night, reflecting his commitment to player safety.
“For the last 25 years, I felt like every single kid that has played high school hockey is one of my kids."
This focus on safety, championed by Athletic Trainers like Heffner, is vital in a sport where the line between excitement and danger is often thin.
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