ShareThisMinnesota high-school hockey player Jack Jablonski will "not be able to walk or skate" again because of spinal-cord injuries the 16-year-old suffered in a hockey collision last week, his family says.
"This news is devastating to Jack and everyone who loves him," the Jablonski family posted on its CaringBridge website for the sophomore. "Our hope and dream is that he will be able to prove this prognosis wrong. Our priority is to help Jack accept and transition into his new life, a life that we did not plan, but one that we have to embrace."
Wednesday, doctors fused two fractured vertebrae in his neck. While the procedure went "very well," according to his family, "it also confirmed that his injury was horrific."
The St. Louis Park, Minn., youth was injured in a junior-varsity tournament game when he was checked from behind and crashed headfirst into the boards. Lying on the ice, Jablonski told his father he couldn't feel anything, but he gained some movement in his shoulders and right arm after being placed in traction and a halo neck brace at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
In addition to fracturing the two vertebrae, his spinal cord was severed at the C5 level, Dr. Tina Slusher said during a briefing at the hospital. In general, the nerves that control the neck, shoulder muscles and biceps are at or above that level; the nerves controlling forearm, hand and leg muscles below.
Checks from behind are high-risk because they can send players flying into the boards.
The injury risk is so high from such contact that youth-hockey jerseys now have "STOP" signs on the back to remind players not to hit from behind.
USA Hockey, which has banned all checking for the youngest players, extended that rule this season to players ages 11 and 12.
"This is one of the reasons why USA Hockey legislated checking out of peewee hockey," said Lou Nanne, a former NHL player and general manager considered by many to be the dean of Minnesota hockey, said earlier this week.
Witnesses said the check on Jablonski wasn't severe or malicious.
The Minnesota State High School League issued a reminder Tuesday against this form of contact on the ice.
(Contact Jeremy Olson at jeremy.olson(at)startribune.com; contact David La Vaque at dlavaque(at)startribune.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Editors: This story is for print use only. Must credit Minneapolis Star Tribune
