A young girl shocked the sports world after being killed by a flying puck during an ice hockey game. Brittanie Cecil, 13, was hit at a match in Ohio, United States, between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames more than 20 years ago – but the case continues to impact the sport today.
Brittanie was injured early in the game, after the puck came off a slapshot that was deflected. The puck flew over the end glass and into the stands where it struck her head, at the Nationwide Arena.
The teenager had a skull fracture but managed to walk to a first-aid station, and was taken to Columbus Children’s Hospital by ambulance. It was there she suffered a seizure and experienced clotting and swelling of the brain. Two days later, Brittanie lost consciousness and died. It was just 48 hours before her 14th birthday.
Her parents were handed $1.2 million in a settlement with the NHL and other groups, according to a copy of the agreement made public under an appeals court order.
Brittanie's mother, Jody Naudascher, received $705,000 and her father, David Cecil, was given $470,000. They were also given $13,000 for funeral expenses.
Espen Knutsen, the Blue Jackets player whose shot flew into the stands, said the incident really shook him. In a meeting with Brittanie’s mother after the girl’s death, he told her: “I can't imagine what it was like for you, for your family. It was a terrible accident that I couldn’t believe.”
Brittanie’s mother reportedly told him, per the Columbus Dispatch: “I don’t hold you responsible, I never did. It was an accident and you should never have blamed yourself for anything.”
Knutsen also said: “It really shook me, my teammates and everyone around the team more than people could ever know.”
Brittanie’s tragic death led to a big change in the sport – resulting in the mandatory implementation of netting. The NHL’s board of governors ordered the nets to be hung from the ceiling across the end zones, stretching from the corners of the rink.
Gary Bettman, commissioner at the time, said these measures would have prevented the puck that hit Brittanie from entering the stands.
While a league report found the arenas to be safe, Bettman said the implementation of nets was still “the right thing to do after what has happened”.
Bettman explained: “There were measures we could take that would reduce the incidence of pucks entering the stands without it interfering with the game, or the fans' enjoyment of the game, and we're doing that.”
At the time of the ruling, Blue Jackets president Doug MacLean said: "Obviously, the tragic death has affected us tremendously, and we wholeheartedly support the league's mandate to go with the netting. We think it's a positive step.''
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