In the second period of the hockey game, sophomore Gavin Hurley’s head abruptly struck a wall and he fell to the ground, his head pounding against his skull. After the game, he and his family were informed that he had received his first major injury, a concussion.
Many people consider hockey one of the most dangerous sports you can play. Recently, a NHL player on the Nottingham Panthers died because of a gash in his neck caused by an ice skate. Hockey is so dangerous that even high school players can get into these accidents. Hurley is no stranger to dealing with and overcoming injuries – he has had nine injuries in his nine-year career.
“A lot of things can happen in hockey, but that is why we play it,” said senior forward Payton McKillips. “When you play hockey you’ll get injured, it’s just part of the game.”
In 2015 Hurley began playing hockey in hopes of becoming one of the best players on the ice.
“When I first saw hockey, it was so different from any other sport so I had to try it,” Hurley said. “I just loved the physicality especially when I got to see players getting slammed into walls. When I first started at the age of eight I never would have thought I would get into so many injuries.”
Only three years after he began playing hockey, Hurley faced his first roadblock, a major concussion. Since then he has experienced a second concussion, has broken a total of six ribs, fractured one of his arms, and has most recently suffered a broken collar bone.
“Never would have thought, if anything, Gavin would be the one who would
get injured, but he has proved me wrong many times,” junior defender Zain Van Brunt said. “Hockey is a game of physicality, you put in a lot of work, but in the end, it is a hell of a game.”
Although Hurley has been through some of the most extreme injuries he still plays strong in every game. This past weekend, he became a state finalist in the TAHA 2A State Tournament.
