Québec boy dies after being hit by ice hockey puck in the neck

A boy in Québec died this week after he was hit in the neck by a puck during ice hockey practice.

The 11-year-old – who has not been named publicly – was hit with the puck “while participating in a regular exercise,” the Saint-Eustache police announced.

The boy spent most of the week in intensive care before he tragically died on Friday, the authorities said.

First responders were initially called to the Complexe Walter-Buswell in the Montreal suburb around 7 p.m. local time Tuesday, the BBC reported.

The boy was wearing protective gear, including a neck guard, at the time of the accident, the outlet added.

The local hockey community was “deeply saddened” by the incident, the Saint-Eustache Minor Hockey Association said, according to CTV News.

“I salute the solidarity shown by many over the past few days, which have been extremely emotional. Finally, above all, I offer the family and their loved ones my most sincere sympathies,” added Jean-Philippe Labrèche, president of the association.

Québec’s Minister for Sport, Isabelle Charest, called the tragedy a “sadness without words,” the BBC said.

The boy’s death notably comes just six weeks after former NHL player Adam Johnson died from a freak skate slash to the neck.