Controversial hit sends shockwaves through SK junior hockey league

The president of a Saskatchewan junior hockey team whose player landed in hospital with three-cracked vertebrae following a controversial hockey hit says the league failed to protect her players.

Cheryl Thomas, president of the Ochapowace Thunder hockey team, said she is disappointed with the ruling to only give the player who delivered the hit a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct instead of a suspension from the league.

“We’re pretty disappointed with the Prairie Junior Hockey League and the SHA,” she said. “They failed in our eyes to protect our player.”

Wyndan Cyr, a 20-year-old defenseman for the Ochapowace Thunder, was seriously injured Monday after being checked in a game against the Pilot Butte Storm.

Cyr suffered three cracked vertebrae in his spine and remains in hospital.

“He shot the puck out of our zone, he got checked falling awkwardly into the boards,” Thomas said. “He didn’t have a chance really to defend himself.”

Meanwhile, officials from the Pilot Butte Storm say they just want to put the whole issue behind them. Friday is game four of the Thunder-Storm playoff series.

“Our guy was just finishing his check like every coach teaches his players to do,” Chris Lewgood said. “Hands were down, elbows were kept to himself, it was a shoulder to the chest and their guy unfortunately slid into the boards and had an injury.”

This controversy comes just 10 days after a hit in the NHL ignited the same debate regarding so-called dirty hits.

On March 8, Zdeno Chara checked Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty into a stanchion.

Pacioretty was knocked unconscious. He was taken to hospital with a severe concussion and a displaced fracture to one of his vertebrae. He has since been released.

Cheryl Thomas said she believes this latest incident at the junior level should have prompted changes.

“I think it would have been a good opportunity for them to say, “˜Hey, this is not acceptable and we’re not going to accept this in our league,’” she said.

Game 4 starts tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Eagledome in Lebret, SK.