Major emergency cancels the HockeyAllsvenskan game between Tingryds AIF & Nybro Vikings
Photo credit: Aftonbladet
A hockey game in the HockeyAllsvenskan league between Tingryds AIF & the Nybro Vikings was stopped when AIF's Linus Hedman was taken to hospital after a dirty hit.
Hockey is a game of speed and contact; there is always going to be a high level of risk involved. That fact was made starkly real in the recent hockey match between Nybro Vikings IF and Tingryds AIF. The game had barely gotten underway in the first period when Tingryds' right-wing forward Linus Hedman, aged twenty-four, was hit by a Viking defender just after he'd moved the puck into neutral territory.
The hit was hard enough that medical attention was needed right away. Hedman, unable to skate off, was taken from the ice on a stretcher and then left the arena for the hospital in an ambulance for further examination and possible treatments. An incident like this underlines the fact that this is a highly unpredictable and dangerous sport and that it can be dangerous in the blink of a second for those involved.
Players are always taught from a young age to never stop being aware of where they are and to always keep scanning the ice to avoid incidents like this. Sometimes, however, in spite of the best effort and intent, accidents do occur. Whether the hit was a legitimate play or an unnecessary show of aggression is up to interpretation. The velocity of the modern game, coupled with participants' size and strength, is often such that even the best-prepared players are caught off guard.
The team did provide an update on the twenty-four-year-old, which was posted on Tingryds AIF's website.
Considering the nasty situation that arose in connection with yesterday's match against Nybro, Linus Hedman is now relatively well. X-rays showed that he had suffered a severe concussion. He also needed stitches to the back of his head after the damage he sustained on landing after the impact. At the time of writing, Linus remains at the hospital in Kalmar for observation. Through his partner, Linus says he is incredibly grateful and moved by all the support he has received, both from TAIF supporters and management, but also from Nybro Vikings and their professional handling in connection with the accident.
Now recovery and a lot of rest await Linus before #88 is back on the ice.
Now recovery and a lot of rest await Linus before #88 is back on the ice.
As hockey continues to evolve, so too does its equipment, designed to keep players safer than at any other time in history. No piece of equipment can remove the danger from a game this fast-moving and this strong. Events like this are a reminder that just as better safety continues to be developed, injury remains, unfortunately, part of the game.
We send our thoughts to Linus Hedman and hope for a speedy, complete recovery. Hopefully, we will see him back on the ice with Tingryds AIF as quickly as possible when he is fully healed up and ready to go.
| POLL | ||
28 SEPTEMBRE | 136 ANSWERS Major emergency cancels the HockeyAllsvenskan game between Tingryds AIF & Nybro Vikings Should hockey equipment be made stronger to protect against these dangerous situations? | ||
| Yes | 110 | 80.9 % |
| No | 26 | 19.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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