The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League says a young player who died at a training camp in New Brunswick never expressed any concerns about health issues before the incident.
Jordan Boyd, a prospect for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, collapsed on the ice while he was waiting to participate in a drill Monday morning.
The league has released a timeline of events leading to Boyd’s death. They say there was no indication the 16-year-old boy from Bedford, N.S. was in distress or experiencing any health-related issues.
They say the teen was in good spirits and had been joking around with other players before hitting the ice.
According to the timeline, the group spent five minutes warming up and then performed passing drills for ten minutes.
As the next drill was getting underway, the coach noticed a forward was missing. Then he noticed Boyd lying on the ice.
The team said earlier this week that a physical therapist tried to revive Boyd several times but he was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital Monday morning.
Results from an autopsy on the cause of death have not been released.
The team said Boyd had a complete medical evaluation prior to the camp and didn’t appear to have any medical problems that would have prevented him from taking part in the camp.
“Every player has to have a pre-medical done before they show up,” says J.P. Laciak, athletic therapist for the Saint John Sea Dogs.
The Saint John Sea Dogs started their training camp Thursday morning, with players from across the country and the United States competing for the few coveted positions on this year’s team.
Head coach Mike Kelly says the players, coaches and team staff are aware of Boyd’s death but that the formula of the training camp will be no different from those in year’s past.
“It’s difficult not to think of things in the back of your mind considering the events, but at the same time, we’re confident in the job that everybody does and the protocols that the league has set out and we follow them just like we do every year,” says Kelly.
Laciak says he will be watching for and treating physical ailments in the players and ensuring other precautions are taken.
“Also, making sure in the building all the defibrillators work, and things that I would have done anyways, but just making sure we have all of our avenues covered,” he says.
Q-league teams plan to observe a moment of silence for Boyd before their pre-season exhibition games.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron
