Connecticut High School Hockey Player Dies After His Neck Was Cut By Skate

A New Canaan, Connecticut high school hockey player, died when his neck was slit by another player during a collision on the ice. 

On Thursday, Teddy Balkind fell on the ice during a game between Brunswick School and St. Luke’s school. Another player was unable to stop in time and collided with Balkind. The game was halted, and the school’s medical staff tried to help.

The 10th grader was rushed to Greenwich Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, police said.

The boy’s father was in attendance for the game between the two private schools. Due to inclement weather, the school was closed Friday, but students and parents gathered at St. Luke’s to mourn Balkind.

“Yesterday, we lost a precious young man in a tragic accident,” St. Luke’s School said in a statement to students. “Both St. Luke’s School and Brunswick School are in shock as we work to support our students and families. St. Luke’s singular focus at this moment is to care for our devastated community.”

The Brunswick school also released a statement, saying, “Tragedies such as this are hard to process and impossible to understand. We will do all we can in the coming days and weeks to help and support those in our community and in the St. Luke’s community.”

The New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and the NHL tweeted their condolences. 

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1479667687336861699?s=20

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— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 8, 2022