Sask. hockey player resting at home after neck slashed by skate

Churchbridge Imperials captain Cole Cusitar is resting at home with his family after taking a skate blade to the neck during a Senior A hockey game in Esterhazy on Dec. 7.

The freak injury happened in the third period of Churchbridge’s game against Esterhazy, when Cusitar was taking a faceoff.

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“It was just a typical faceoff down in the Esterhazy zone, we were on a five-on-three. The puck dropped and I remember looking down and it was just a little battle for the puck and the dot.

“I think what happened was the Esterhazy guy was just kind of in the midst of battle, fell over and his leg came up and my face happened to be there and that’s when the skate hit,” Cusitar explained.

“Initially I thought I just got whacked with something and I didn’t really think too much of it. But it did kind of sting and hurt.”

Cole Cusitar (circled) is a member of the Churchbridge Imperials. During a game on Dec. 7, Cusitar had his neck cut by a skate blade which resulted in him needing 80 stitches. (Jon Jenson/submitted)

Cusitar said he dropped to his knees, took his gloves off and started to feel around the area where he thought he got hit.

“I remember looking at my hand and there was blood in my hand. And then I realized that there was some blood now coming out of where the laceration was shooting onto the ice.”Cusitar said.

“I remember the Esterhazy player was screaming frantically, ‘Get somebody over here, we need some help!’”

‘This is a serious thing’

In a state of shock, Cusitar got up and skated to the bench where his trainer Steve Shackleton was already rushing to put pressure on the wound.

While this was happening, one of Cusitar’s teammates grabbed his wife Katelyn Putland, who is a nurse, from the stands and brought her onto the ice to help get the bleeding under control.

“I got off the ice and my teammates knew I was bleeding. Some of them didn’t really know how bad it was and then one teammate said I took my hand away from the laceration and they could see the blood just kind of shooting out of that artery that was nicked,” Cusitar said. “That’s when a few of them were like … this is a serious thing.”

Shackleton and Putland led Cusitar to the back of a truck belonging to assistant coach Mark Prier, and he rushed him to the hospital in Esterhazy.

“I got into the back of the truck and Katelyn and Steven were just maintaining enormous amounts of pressure on the wound, just trying to make sure that they could try and combat the blood that was coming out at the time,” Cusitar explained.

As the three were travelling to the hospital, Cusitar’s wife was trying to call the hospital to let staff know they were coming, but she couldn’t get through. Cusitar thinks that’s because so many people who were at the game were already calling there and telling staff to get ready.

Once at the hospital, nurses started to put pressure on the wound with gauze.

“I remember one nurse probably was on there for about a half an hour just applying pressure,” Cusitar said, when asked about the severity of the cut.

As this was happening, staff was considering calling STARS Air Ambulance to get him to a hospital in a place like Regina or Saskatoon with more tools and resources available to handle such a severe injury.

“They were having trouble getting the bleeding to stop and I remember they were starting to put IVs in me and they put the big IVs in. They told me that they were the big IVs just in case I needed a blood transfusion,” he said.

After over an hour of continuing to put pressure on the wound, the doctor at the hospital in Esterhazy peeled back the gauze and took a look at the cut. He said they didn’t need to call STARS and he could be treated for his injury at Yorkton hospital.

He was eventually taken to Yorkton where he underwent surgery, but they ran into some issues before that happened.

“They said they’re going to put me under and get the anesthesiologist and just put me in for a quick surgical procedure,” Cusitar said.

“In the meantime, the weather was not cooperating with anyone. The storm was moving in and it was wreaking a little bit havoc on our highways, and I believe the anesthesiologist wasn’t able to make it in.”

Doctors treated Cusitar with local anesthetic and gave him 80 stitches. He was discharged from hospital on Monday.

‘It could have been far worse by a huge margin’

Incredibly, Cusitar said he never once felt dizzy, nauseous or like he was going to pass out. He mentioned throughout the process, he was just trying to stay positive.

“I tried to tell myself (that) I’m going to be okay. I’m not going to rule myself out,” Cusitar said.

“I remember them saying, ‘Everybody get ready, he might pass out on us here.’ Obviously when that happens, there’s significant blood loss,” Cusitar added.

“Considering the circumstances, I guess this is best-case scenario. It could have been far worse by a huge margin.”

Cusitar is very thankful to be at home with his wife and two children.

Because the cut to his neck was high, Cusitar doesn’t know if a neck guard would have helped prevent the injury.

The Imperials aren’t taking any risks, however, and will wear neck guards during their games going forward. Cusitar is encouraging players who don’t wear one already to put one on.

“I’m a pro-choice guy. I’m not going to force anybody to (wear) anything that they don’t want to wear or whatever. I’m just going to say it’s up to you, but it can happen very quick,” Cusitar said.

“Yes, it was a freak accident, It doesn’t happen often, but (neck guards) are there for a reason. I hope more people take consideration to wearing one.”

Cusitar said he was happy to hear that message is already being heard in Churchbridge.

“I know they said down at the local arena the kids were going out for practice and a lot of parents were checking over their kids equipment pretty good this time,” he said.

“It has sparked a little bit more awareness on the protective equipment out there for hockey.”

Neck guard sales saw a spike in sales in Saskatoon after the injury.

The hockey team in Churchbridge means a lot to Cusitar, as he was one of the people who helped bring Senior A hockey back to the community.

Cusitar said he wants to play hockey again, but will take some time before returning to the ice.

“Hockey, to me, it’s just one of those sports that I hold dear to my heart. It played a significant role in myself growing up,” he said.

“I’m eager to get back out there and get playing again and enjoy the sport.”

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