Gatineau Olympiques Defenseman Justin Blais Gives Brief Statement Thanking Fans After Scary Incident

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Chris Gerics
November 2, 2024 (9:46 PM)

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After a scary incident in which defenseman Justin Blais suffered a serious medical emergency, he has broken his silence and gives thanks for all of the support.

During Friday's game between the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Gatineau Olympiques, a very scary incident occurred when Olympiques defenseman Justin Blais got himself in a bit of a scuffle and ended up falling to the ice and striking his head hard. Immediately afterward, he started to convulse as medical staff rushed to administer first aid.

It was a frightening scene and it was decided to end the game immediately. With Baie-Comeau up 8-2, the game was well in hand so it made logical sense to focus on the more pressing matter at hand.

Well luckily for everyone, Blais seems to be doing alright and in good spirits. With the permission of the defenseman, the Olympiques posted a photo with an update on Blais; who is seen giving a thumbs up but is in a neck brace with various abrasions on his face.

It was a huge positive to see Blais in high spirits given the circumstances. It's never a good sight to see a player hit the ice head-first, but the additional convulsing just added a new level of horror to the injury. A huge kudos needs to go out to the medical staff whose skillset and ability to work quickly and get Blais the attention he needs and should not be ignored.

Blais is still fairly young, only playing in his second year with Gatineau, and the 17-year-old isn't eligible for the NHL draft until 2026, it's unfortunate for him to have suffered such a bad injury so young in his life. Gatineau should take all of the time in the world to make sure Blais is healthy, and keep an eye on him should anything change; concussions are a scary thing.

All we can hope for now is that Blais recovers quickly and that he can be back playing for Gatineau doing what he loves the most. We here at House of Hockey would like to extend our support and best wishes for a speedy recovery for Justin Blais.