Brittanie Cecil was hit by a puck during the NHL match between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames
A teenage girl sent shockwaves through the sporting community after being fatally struck by a hockey puck during a match.
Brittanie Cecil, 13, was hit at a fixture in Ohio, United States, between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames over two decades ago – yet the tragedy still reverberates through the sport today.
Brittanie sustained her injuries in the opening stages of the match, when the puck ricocheted off a powerful shot.
The puck soared above the protective glass and into the crowd where it struck her in the head at the Nationwide Arena.
The youngster suffered a fractured skull but was able to make her way to a medical station before being rushed by ambulance to Columbus Children’s Hospital, reports the Mirror US.
There she endured a seizure and developed blood clots along with brain swelling.
Brittanie slipped into unconsciousness and passed away two days later – merely 48 hours shy of her 14th birthday.
Her parents received $1.2 million through a settlement with the NHL and other organisations, according to court documents released following an appeals court ruling.
Brittanie’s mum, Jody Naudascher, was awarded $705,000 whilst her father, David Cecil, received $470,000.
The family also secured $13,000 to cover burial costs.
Espen Knutsen, the Blue Jackets player whose strike sailed into the spectators, admitted the tragedy deeply affected him.
During a meeting with Brittanie’s mother following the girl’s passing, he said: “I can’t imagine what it was like for you, for your family. It was a terrible accident that I couldn’t believe.”
Brittanie’s mother reportedly told him, according to the Columbus Dispatch: “I don’t hold you responsible, I never did. It was an accident and you should never have blamed yourself for anything.”
Knutsen also said: “It really shook me, my teammates and everyone around the team more than people could ever know.”
Brittanie’s heartbreaking death sparked a major transformation in the sport – leading to the compulsory installation of protective netting.
The NHL’s board of governors mandated that nets be suspended from the ceiling across the end zones, extending from the rink’s corners.
Gary Bettman, who was commissioner at the time, stated these safety measures would have stopped the puck that struck Brittanie from reaching the spectators.
Despite a league investigation concluding the arenas were secure, Bettman maintained that installing nets remained “the right thing to do after what has happened”.
Bettman added: “There were measures we could take that would reduce the incidence of pucks entering the stands without it interfering with the game, or the fans’ enjoyment of the game, and we’re doing that.”
When the decision was announced, Blue Jackets president Doug MacLean said: “Obviously, the tragic death has affected us tremendously, and we wholeheartedly support the league’s mandate to go with the netting. We think it’s a positive step.
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