Teenager dies after being struck by hockey puck
EDMONTON - A 16-year-old hockey player died after taking a puck to the neck during a game in Edmonton, his team said Sunday.
The South Side Athletic Club announced that Kyle Fundytus had passed away in a statement posted on their website.
Hockey Edmonton officials say Fundytus was blocking a shot during a game on Saturday when he was struck and later died in hospital.
The player's coach — Nathan Papirny — says blocking shots is part of hockey and no amount of equipment can protect a player completely.
Betty Schmilar, president of Hockey Edmonton, the league's governing body, told CBC News it was a "freak accident."Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta plan to review what happened on the ice.
The boy's father, who helped manage the team, thanked the minor hockey community, relatives and friends for their overwhelming support. The family donated the youth's organs for transplant.