Girl dies after being hit by hockey puck at NHL game
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 13-year-old girl died after being hit in the head by a puck that was shot over the glass and caromed off another fan at an NHL game.

Brittanie Cecil died Monday night, two days after she was hurt at the game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames, Children’s Hospital said.

It was believed to be the first death of a fan hit by a puck at an NHL game.

“Our fans mean the world to us,” said Doug MacLean, Blue Jackets general manager. “This loss has profound effect on the entire Blue Jackets family.”

The shot by Espen Knutsen of Columbus flew over the high glass at the west end of the rink, glanced off another spectator and struck the girl in the head, witnesses said. After being hit, the girl was seen standing with a jacket being held to her head.

Teams warn spectators over the public-address system about pucks flying into the crowd. They also place warnings on scoreboards and on the back of each ticket.

NHL spokesman Frank Brown said Tuesday he could not recall any other fan killed by a puck.

He said one NHL player died from injuries in a game. Bill Masterton died Jan. 15, 1968, days after falling.

Although rare, spectators have been killed and seriously injured at hockey games, particularly in the low minor leagues and the amateur ranks where the glass is not as high around the rink.

A 21-year-old Canadian man died on March 5, 2000, after being struck by a shot that flew into the crowd during a South East Manitoba Hockey League game between Altona and Carman a week earlier.

A 9-year-old girl died in 1979 after being hit in the forehead during another Canadian game.

In 1984, a 10-year-old boy in Spokane, Wash., was killed when hit with a puck while watching an exhibition game between the Spokane Eagles and Spokane Chiefs.

credits

TCU Daily Skiff © 2002