(above) St. Cloud forward Travis Novak lay on the ice for 25 minutes in Anchorage on Saturday night with neck painFrom: Anchorage Daily News
by Doyle Woody
A St. Cloud State hockey player injured Saturday night in a seemingly harmless sequence that frequently occurs in the fast, physical sport retained mobility in his limbs, but suffered neck pain that prompted him to be transported to a local hospital, according to officials from his school and UAA.
Travis Novak, a 22-year-old junior at the Minnesota school, lay motionless on the ice at Sullivan Arena at the end of the second period of St. Cloud State's 4-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association win over the Seawolves.
Novak's head appeared to strike the boards after he pivoted toward the barrier and was rubbed out by UAA defenseman Brad Gorham.
Novak remained down on the ice for about 25 minutes -- he was treated by trainers from both teams and a doctor on hand -- before an emergency medical crew arrived and took him off the ice on a backboard strapped to a gurney.
"He was scared,'' said St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko. "Lots of emotions going through -- it wasn't good out there.''
The announced crowd of 2,780 stood and clapped as Novak was taken off the rink.
"Please send out some good thoughts,'' said public address announcer Lyle Woods.
The Huskies boarded a bus after the game and went to check on their teammate, who was reportedly taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center.
Late Saturday night, Motzko told St. Cloud Times correspondent Matt Nevala that Novak did not suffer serious injury and had been medically cleared to fly home with the team on its scheduled flight this morning.
Whether Novak would travel today had not been decided, Motzko said.
Novak's injury proved especially chilling given recent events in the WCHA.
University of Denver player Jesse Martin three weeks ago was knocked unconscious in a game and suffered a fractured vertebra that required surgery. He is walking again, though his hockey future is uncertain.
The play that felled Novak, of Lethbridge, Alberta, was innocent by the standards of a sport that features violent collisions at high speeds and is played on a rink surrounded by hard boards and Plexiglass.
Just before the horn blared to end the second period -- the game was tied 2-2 at that point -- Novak gained possession of the puck along the boards in the Huskies' zone. He appeared to pivot toward the boards and dip his head just as Gorham came from behind and made relatively gentle contact.
The move Gorham employed is known in the game as a "rub-out,'' far shy of a body-banging check. The contact appeared to knock Novak, who was close to the boards, into the barrier head-first.
"It was the worst thing you can have in athletics, especially with what the boy (Martin) went through,'' Motzko said.
UAA coach Dave Shyiak said he walked down the hallway that connects the locker rooms for the Seawolves and the visitors to check with Motzko and his staff before the third period.
"Your first thought is for the young man,'' Shyiak said. "You just hope the young man's OK.''
Gorham was not initially penalized on the play. Prior to the start of the third period he was issued a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct, which is an automatic ejection. Gorham, a junior from Anchorage, declined to comment.
St. Cloud State captain Aaron Marvin said the situation was difficult but that he and his teammates carried on because they figured Novak, who Marvin described as "just a great kid,'' would insist they do so.
"It's always tough,'' Marvin said. "It's an accident. No one is trying to hurt anyone, and you hope he's OK.''
The major penalty issued to Gorham was UAA's second in a span of less than three minutes. UAA freshman Matt Bailey received a major penalty and game misconduct for checking from behind.
Those penalties afforded the Huskies a two-man advantage they turned into Jared Festler's go-ahead goal and a subsequent one-man advantage that led to Cam Reid's goal. Reid's goal turned into the game winner after UAA freshman Mark Pustin scored his first career goal, on a power play midway through the period, and the Huskies managed to hold off a Seawolves team that seemed poise to strike for the equalizer.
"You've got to focus,'' Marvin said. "That's what (Novak) would want.''
Travis Novak, a 22-year-old junior at the Minnesota school, lay motionless on the ice at Sullivan Arena at the end of the second period of St. Cloud State's 4-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association win over the Seawolves.
Novak's head appeared to strike the boards after he pivoted toward the barrier and was rubbed out by UAA defenseman Brad Gorham.
Novak remained down on the ice for about 25 minutes -- he was treated by trainers from both teams and a doctor on hand -- before an emergency medical crew arrived and took him off the ice on a backboard strapped to a gurney.
"He was scared,'' said St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko. "Lots of emotions going through -- it wasn't good out there.''
The announced crowd of 2,780 stood and clapped as Novak was taken off the rink.
"Please send out some good thoughts,'' said public address announcer Lyle Woods.
The Huskies boarded a bus after the game and went to check on their teammate, who was reportedly taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center.
Late Saturday night, Motzko told St. Cloud Times correspondent Matt Nevala that Novak did not suffer serious injury and had been medically cleared to fly home with the team on its scheduled flight this morning.
Whether Novak would travel today had not been decided, Motzko said.
Novak's injury proved especially chilling given recent events in the WCHA.
University of Denver player Jesse Martin three weeks ago was knocked unconscious in a game and suffered a fractured vertebra that required surgery. He is walking again, though his hockey future is uncertain.
The play that felled Novak, of Lethbridge, Alberta, was innocent by the standards of a sport that features violent collisions at high speeds and is played on a rink surrounded by hard boards and Plexiglass.
Just before the horn blared to end the second period -- the game was tied 2-2 at that point -- Novak gained possession of the puck along the boards in the Huskies' zone. He appeared to pivot toward the boards and dip his head just as Gorham came from behind and made relatively gentle contact.
The move Gorham employed is known in the game as a "rub-out,'' far shy of a body-banging check. The contact appeared to knock Novak, who was close to the boards, into the barrier head-first.
"It was the worst thing you can have in athletics, especially with what the boy (Martin) went through,'' Motzko said.
UAA coach Dave Shyiak said he walked down the hallway that connects the locker rooms for the Seawolves and the visitors to check with Motzko and his staff before the third period.
"Your first thought is for the young man,'' Shyiak said. "You just hope the young man's OK.''
Gorham was not initially penalized on the play. Prior to the start of the third period he was issued a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct, which is an automatic ejection. Gorham, a junior from Anchorage, declined to comment.
St. Cloud State captain Aaron Marvin said the situation was difficult but that he and his teammates carried on because they figured Novak, who Marvin described as "just a great kid,'' would insist they do so.
"It's always tough,'' Marvin said. "It's an accident. No one is trying to hurt anyone, and you hope he's OK.''
The major penalty issued to Gorham was UAA's second in a span of less than three minutes. UAA freshman Matt Bailey received a major penalty and game misconduct for checking from behind.
Those penalties afforded the Huskies a two-man advantage they turned into Jared Festler's go-ahead goal and a subsequent one-man advantage that led to Cam Reid's goal. Reid's goal turned into the game winner after UAA freshman Mark Pustin scored his first career goal, on a power play midway through the period, and the Huskies managed to hold off a Seawolves team that seemed poise to strike for the equalizer.
"You've got to focus,'' Marvin said. "That's what (Novak) would want.''
10 comments:
Looks like an application of "The Old Pio Theory," as far a Gorham's penalty: knock a guy down for 25 minutes and send him to the hospital on a gurney, you're outta here. I can live with it. Sure hope the kid's okay.
I think something has to be done, kids getting killed is not the sport I bought a ticket for. Enough with the head hits. Refs need to get on this. Coaches too.
NCAA really needs to look into head contact like the NHL did recently.
Last year the problem was concussions, this year its neck injuries.
Seems to me that there are five components at play here; equipment, rules, refereeing, coaching and the players themselves.
Expecting fans to pay $30 a ticket and then to have to see players on the ice with scary injuries doesn't seem like a very sound way to grow or promote the sport.
Here's what we do:
1) Half shields instead of full cages. Watch the 'cage courage' plummet and the sticks come down.
2) No checking to the head. Ever. Checks must be delivered to the shoulder, side, hip or chest and not from behind, either.
3) Players with their heads down are no longer okay to drill. Responsibility goes to the hitter.
Here's how the St. Cloud Times explained the play...
With the score tied 2-2, a Husky misfire wide of UAA goaltender Chris Kamal rimmed into and around the left corner of the SCSU attacking zone and up the boards.
Novak faced center ice when he took possession of the puck, but quickly turned toward the goal line. When he ducked down in an attempt to avert Anchorage defenseman Brad Gorham's check, Novak appeared to take a forearm shot to the back of the head and neck.
Novak immediately fell to the ice and laid motionless in a heap on his right side, facing the boards.
And here's how Doyle Woody (a notoriously negative nelly regard UAA Hockey described it in the ADN) ...
The play that felled Novak, of Lethbridge, Alberta, was innocent by the standards of a sport that features violent collisions at high speeds and is played on a rink surrounded by hard boards and Plexiglass.
Just before the horn blared to end the second period -- the game was tied 2-2 at that point -- Novak gained possession of the puck along the boards in the Huskies' zone. He appeared to pivot toward the boards and dip his head just as Gorham came from behind and made relatively gentle contact.
The move Gorham employed is known in the game as a "rub-out,'' far shy of a body-banging check. The contact appeared to knock Novak, who was close to the boards, into the barrier head-first.
So there's that.
Carry on with your mischaracterizations and arm flailing ...
I will be capturing the video and posting it on my blog when it comes available on the free GCI Web Archive of all the UAA Seawolves broadcasted home games ...
Statistically, Jesse Martin should have died, right there on the ice, in front of all those people with their wooden arm rests, leather covered seats and marble flooring. That he didn't was nothing short of a miracle. Do we really want to wait around until a player is killed or crippled for life before we take steps to crack down hard, and let these kids know they can't go to the head--ever.
I think its fair to ask if there are emergency personnel at each WCHA Arena, and if not, why not.
I think its also fair to ask if a player is seriously hurt in some of these smaller WCHA towns, are the hospitals set able to handle a severe trauma situation.
Houghton, Bemidji, Grand Forks, Mankato and probably a few others have populations of 67,000 or less.
Will Suze deny that his injury ever happened?
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