A 20-year-old defenseman with the Johnstown Tomahawks of the U.S.-based North American Hockey League has a broken vertabrae in his neck after a scary incident Saturday night. Chris Trouba, who is the team's captain, was attempting to make a pass when he was pushed into the boards and landed awkwardly head first. He laid prone on the ice for several minutes until he was able to be safely stretchered out of the arena and transported by ambulance to Hospital.
A CT scan revealed that he had sustained a broken C-6 vertebrae in his neck. Luckily for Trouba, the team says his spinal cord was not compromised by the fracture and he was not paralyzed as a result.
"For sure, it could have been a lot worse.” Tomahawks head coach, Mike Letizia, said. “It's hard to put into words as a coach when an unfortunate situation like that occurs. Chris has been the heart and soul of our team for many years, and it was a horrible moment in our game against the Black Bears. Although he did suffer a fracture to his neck, thankfully it was not much worse.”
The team says Trouba, 20, will need to wear a neck brace for a minimum of eight weeks. However, he is expected to make a full recovery and should be able to play hockey again. While video of the actual incident has been difficult to find, you can see the aftermath of it below. The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States.
-
Source: Johnstown Tomahawks
