Paralyzed

[Amiroo39 121]

Happened in the Swiss B league. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EYcvkybOzbw. I'm 25, have been on the ice since I was 6, and I never thought I'd say this but I'm genuinely scared to step back on to the ice. Infact, playing in a highly competitive division of beer league at this age now, I'm even turned off from the whole concept of playing again after watching this. I did not think I would ever feel this way about the game I love so much. Losing eye sight, cutting your achilles, or breaking your back is nothing compared to this tragic incident. Could there be any piece of equipment to prevent this sort of injury in the future?

[HockeySavants 5]

"c'est pas bon, c'est pas bon, c'est bon" indeed....this is awful

[hockeymass 11]

There's a certain risk that comes with all sports. That was a vicious board, and I would hope that sort of thing doesn't happen in your beer league. It's a horrifying incident, but it's not the first time it happens. The problem lies with guys that either don't know how or don't care to hit properly. I mean, the guy launched him headfirst into the boards on what looks like an icing touchup. That's bush league shit. As far as preventing it through equipment, I don't see how you could, short of making everyone skate around with cervical collars or spinal halos.

[JSK81 400]

That happened in Switzerland, they don't speak French in Sweden.

Either way, horrible accident.

[boo10 323]

Two years ago, I caught a rut at full speed and went into the boards. Fractured C7, T1 & T5 vertebrae, broke my nose, wrist and some teeth. Nobody touched me, just really bad ice near the zamboini doors. When I first got back on the ice I was a little tentative going into the corners, but it passed. I realized that I could just as easily get injured in a car accident or some other unforseen way. I love the game too much to stop playing, but I just take my foot off the gas a little now.

[iceman8310 106]

I was playing pick up and there was this guy who couldn't skate. He would fall and use other players as balance. he ended up falling and this taking other player out and seriously injuring them. If you can't skate please don't play pick up, learn to skate first

[hockeymass 11]

I was playing pick up and there was this guy who couldn't skate. He would fall and use other players as balance. he ended up falling and this taking other player out and seriously injuring them. If you can't skate please don't play pick up, learn to skate first

I saw that at public skate once too, this middle-aged lady was falling all over the place and at one point put her hand on a 6 year old's head to try to stabilize herself. I was furious. You need to be mindful of your own abilities before you skate above your skill level.

[the_game 452]

While this is tragic & unfortunate, it's also Keller's fault. Keller stops, lowers his shoulder & tries to hit the fore checker Schnyder before Schnyder can hit him.

Schnyder was coasting in on Keller at the point of impact.

You can see Keller trying to stop and make the hit on Schnyder and Keller doesn't have his footing underneath him.

Schnyder's momentum or strength was too much for Keller and Keller was bowled over, sadly very close to boards resulting in this horrible outcome.

Again, this is tragic & sad and I wish the best for Keller but saying this is a dirty hit, boarding, from behind, or charging is wrong.

[hockeymass 11]

While this is tragic & unfortunate, it's also Keller's fault. Keller stops, lowers his shoulder & tries to hit the fore checker Schnyder before Schnyder can hit him.

Schnyder was coasting in on Keller at the point of impact.

You can see Keller trying to stop and make the hit on Schnyder and Keller doesn't have his footing underneath him.

Schnyder's momentum or strength was too much for Keller and Keller was bowled over, sadly very close to boards resulting in this horrible outcome.

Again, this is tragic & sad and I wish the best for Keller but saying this is a dirty hit, boarding, from behind, or charging is wrong.

Apparently I'm watching a different video than you are.

[romdj 26]

That happened in Switzerland, they don't speak French in Sweden.

Either way, horrible accident.

whatever, EU countries are all the same anyway

[coryroth24 15]

While this is tragic & unfortunate, it's also Keller's fault. Keller stops, lowers his shoulder & tries to hit the fore checker Schnyder before Schnyder can hit him.

Schnyder was coasting in on Keller at the point of impact.

You can see Keller trying to stop and make the hit on Schnyder and Keller doesn't have his footing underneath him.

Schnyder's momentum or strength was too much for Keller and Keller was bowled over, sadly very close to boards resulting in this horrible outcome.

Again, this is tragic & sad and I wish the best for Keller but saying this is a dirty hit, boarding, from behind, or charging is wrong.

He is right. Keller did initiate body contact by leaning back into the dude that hit him. Looks pretty clear to me on the slow motion replay... <<<Flame Away!>>>

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Check again boys. He may have slowed up a little and pushed back but the other player at the 6 second mark shoves him with all his might into the boards! Dangerous play.

watch again at the 16 second mark and pause it.

[hyprlte 0]

This story has left a really uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Its so sad - does anybody know what is to happen with Schnyder? Was he suspended?

[the_game 452]

Apparently I'm watching a different video than you are.

While we are all entitled to our opinion on this hit, I'll breakdown what I see in terms of what happened, paying close, specific attention to the slow-motion replay.

At the :14 Second mark Keller slows down, takes a peek over his shoulder to see where Schnyder is.

:15 Second mark of the video, Keller 'gets low', digs in on his skates, and tries to drive up and deliver a hit to Schnyder with his left shoulder.

Schnyder read Keller's body language & is prepared for the hit that is coming and delivers his own hit to Keller.

Watch the :15 to :16 mark of the video and pay close attention to Keller's feet.

Keller's feet are not fully set and Schnyder's momentum/strength sends Keller into the boards as Keller can't fully brace himself from the impact.

We all know in Hockey things happen very, very quickly. At a Pro level these guys were playing, Schnyder had to make a quick decision to respond to the hit that Keller was trying to deliver to him. Did Schnyder have enough time to think about him sending Keller into the boards, paralyzing him? I doubt it, but Schnyder did have enough time to realize what Keller was trying to do & respond with a hit of his own. Again, Pro level players with pro level strength with pro level speed, Schnyder was prepared to respond in kind to whatever Keller was trying to dish out.

Again this is tragic & sad for Keller, but Keller tried to catch Schnyder off guard and it didn't work.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Totally disagree! What kind of impact could someone ahead of you have if your following them? Really, that far away from the boards? Tragic but the person shoving someone towards the boards has to take full responsibility! And if you look around for the reports the player shoving him into the boards as had to seek counseling so I am pretty sure he meant to shove the person and of course he did not want that tragic event to happen but it did. 100% his fault and he knows it!

[hockeymass 11]

While we are all entitled to our opinion on this hit, I'll breakdown what I see in terms of what happened, paying close, specific attention to the slow-motion replay.

At the :14 Second mark Keller slows down, takes a peek over his shoulder to see where Schnyder is.

:15 Second mark of the video, Keller 'gets low', digs in on his skates, and tries to drive up and deliver a hit to Schnyder with his left shoulder.

Schnyder read Keller's body language & is prepared for the hit that is coming and delivers his own hit to Keller.

Watch the :15 to :16 mark of the video and pay close attention to Keller's feet.

Keller's feet are not fully set and Schnyder's momentum/strength sends Keller into the boards as Keller can't fully brace himself from the impact.

We all know in Hockey things happen very, very quickly. At a Pro level these guys were playing, Schnyder had to make a quick decision to respond to the hit that Keller was trying to deliver to him. Did Schnyder have enough time to think about him sending Keller into the boards, paralyzing him? I doubt it, but Schnyder did have enough time to realize what Keller was trying to do & respond with a hit of his own. Again, Pro level players with pro level strength with pro level speed, Schnyder was prepared to respond in kind to whatever Keller was trying to dish out.

Again this is tragic & sad for Keller, but Keller tried to catch Schnyder off guard and it didn't work.

From what I see, Keller tries to pull up and lean into Schnyder a bit, but Schnyder just tosses him into the boards.

[Chadd 916]

First issue is that the guy that delivered the hit was intent on making a hit from the time the puck was dumped in. He wasn't going to make any effort to get the puck, he was going to drill the other guy.

Second issue is that Keller stopped way too far out from the boards. When you have someone that wants to demolish you, you have to be closer to the boards to be safer.

Third issue is that the guy delivering the hit tried to destroy him. There are times and places where you just can't hit someone as hard as you possibly can. It's reckless, dangerous and bad for the game.

[the_game 452]

As many times as I watch this video, I still see Keller as the one initiating the contact trying to catch Schnyder off guard.

I think Chadd makes good points, Schnyder was intent on making a hit all along and Keller stops way too far out from the boards. That being said, Keller put himself in a dangerous spot & Schnyder finished his check in a dangerous part of the ice.

The outcome is devastating & sad, but if Keller doesn't initiate the contact and takes a check against the boards none of us probably ever finds out theres such a thing as the Swiss B Pro League.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

There was no puck involved. Its illegal check no matter what way you spin it. Period!

[wrangler 157]

It looked like more than a simple push from behind. It seems to me that the hitter caught his victim under the left upper arm, and shoved up hard on it, which overbalanced the guy and flipped him. That's not the kind of result that would surprise the player who does it. Looking at the victim's lean, and crouch, it took some work to do it. It looks like a reckless, if not deliberate, flip.

[JSK81 400]

Comments like this make you sound totally ignorant.

whatever, EU countries are all the same anyway

Those guys are actually friends. They used to play in the same team and have been keeping in touch since then. I can't even imagine how bad Schnyder must be feeling right now.

[decoy 164]

whatever, EU countries are all the same anyway

Switzerland is not an EU country.

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

Scary and humbling that the worse that happens to me during the game is my team giving up a 10-spot.

[romdj 26]

Comments like this make you sound totally ignorant.

Those guys are actually friends. They used to play in the same team and have been keeping in touch since then. I can't even imagine how bad Schnyder must be feeling right now.

That was the point. Sorry, I guess it was a bad time for sarcasm.

I'm actually very sorry for your friends and the victim of that horrible hit.

I was talking about that the other day with my father, with the concussions in the sport & everything, and he told me that the game in 20 years of time will be non-checking with all the concussions going on and all. (It's hard to recall players who haven't had even one).

I wondered what you guys thought, at first it did seem unthinkable, but then, when looking at rollerhockey and everything, maybe hockey is better off being a non-checking sport.

[JSK81 400]

Heh, what I meant to say was that they're friends with each other, not with me.

That was the point. Sorry, I guess it was a bad time for sarcasm.

I'm actually very sorry for your friends and the victim of that horrible hit.