Army hockey player recovering after suffering neck laceration during game at Sacred Heart
An Army hockey player was cut in the neck in a freak accident during a game at Sacred Heart on Thursday night, leaving a bloody trail on the ice at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.
With a prompt response from the team’s athletic trainer and surgery to repair the severe laceration, he appears to be recovering.
“Eric Huss suffered an injury from an inadvertent skate to his neck,” the Army men’s hockey program said via Twitter on Friday. “He was transported after a pivotal response from our trainer, Rachel Leahy. Eric underwent successful surgery to repair a severe laceration to his neck and will return to West Point today. Warrior.”
Almost a year to the day, on Jan. 6, 2022, Teddy Balkind of St. Luke’s prep school, died in a game vs. The Brunswick School in Greenwich, which touched off a debate about hockey players wearing neck guards. College players are not required to wear neck guards and rarely do.
In its last game in Bridgeport, with its new on-campus arena set to open on Jan. 14, Sacred Heart was leading late in the second quarter when Austin Magera of the Pioneers was checked and his skates left the ice. Huss, who was moving passed the collision, was cut in the side of the neck and cheek by the skate blade.
According to Sacred Heart spokesman Steve Conn, Huss skated off the ice to his bench, leaving a “dark trail of blood.” Leahy, at the other end of the bench, leaped over the barrier onto the ice and ran to Huss, applying a towel to the wound. She stayed with him and kept the compression applied as he was taken to an ambulance and transported to a nearby hospital.
Play was stopped with 5:23 left in the second period. After the ice was cleaned and another ambulance arrived, the game resumed and Sacred Heart went on to win 5-0. Shortly after the game, positive reports reached the arena on Huss’ condition.
“A terrible tragedy was avoided tonight because of the quick action of our trainer and the medical staff that were in the arena tonight,” Army coach Brian Riley said via Twitter. “Grateful that our player will be ok because of them.”
A photo of Huss, smiling, with two thumbs up and a heavy bandage on the side of his neck, was posted along with Army’s statement. Huss, from Dallas, is heading back to West Point on Friday.
“We were thrilled to see the picture of him smiling and with all the good signs,” Conn said.
Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com
