15-year-old hockey player hospitalized after horrific hit

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Daniel Lucente
October 21, 2024 (2:10 PM)

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15-year-old hockey player Timur Bariyev was rushed to a hospital in the middle of a game after being slammed head and neck first into the boards.

With hockey being such a fast and roughly physical sport, one of the worst injuries always involves players getting checked into the boards. Unfortunately for a 15-year-old hockey player named Timur Bariyev, the unthinkable happened. He was slammed from the back directly into the boards where his head and neck appeared to have suffered the brunt of the collision. He is now in hospital with what has been confirmed as a serious spinal injury. Prayers are up for this young man.

Another board-related incident that happened in the NHL involved Kevin Stevens, who, in 1993, went head-first into the boards after an attempted hit. The impact fractured his skull and face, putting him through severe reconstructive surgery. Stevens eventually returned to hockey but was never the same player.

Another brutal injury occurred with Steve Moore in 2004. Moore was punched from behind by Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi and driven face-first into the ice, giving him three fractured vertebrae and a severe concussion that ended his career, along with a highly publicized legal battle.

In 2011, a check into the boards by Zdeno Chara sent Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens crashing into a stanchion with enough force to break his neck and concussion him. A severe injury, a fractured vertebra, and sternum, and finally a severe concussion, roused concerns about player safety near the glass and rink architecture.

All of these incidents show that body checks along the boards can be injurious due to the high speeds at which the collision may occur, sometimes changing a player's life. Better rink design and tighter rules on boarding and hits from behind seek to reduce those risks. Let's hope Timur Bariyev doesn't suffer any life-altering injuries from this. We all wish him the very best recovery.