It's not the kind of story you like to hear in any hockey league, let alone high school hockey. Unfortunately, it does happen. Sam Gorno, the captain of the Gaylord Blue Devils hockey team in Michigan, is recovering at home after taking an opponent's stick to the head in what is being described as a deliberate attack.
“A player from the Kingsford team, unprovoked, two-hand baseball swung his stick and smashed Sam unexpectedly in the helmet,” Gaylord head coach Jamie Voss told the Petowsky Herald Times. “The blow to Sam's helmet knocked his helmet from his head and rendered Sam unconscious. While knocked out, Sam fell face first, head now unprotected, to the ice."
“Upon striking the ice, Sam lost a tooth that snapped in half, smashed his nose which began bleeding profusely and sustained a concussion. As Sam laid unconscious and motionless face down on the ice, myself, coach Gorno (Sam's dad) and the rink medical trainer were able to ease Sam back into a conscious state and arrange the off-ice medical attention he needed," Voss explained. "This was a completely unacceptable occurrence that has no place in hockey. The player in violation has no business playing hockey or any sport. This is the type of violation that at the professional level of hockey results in criminal charges, fines and expulsion. The player has since been removed from the team for the duration of this hockey season. Sam has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home with his family."
While Voss told the newspaper that video exists and has been passed over to police for investigation, it was either never posted to the internet or any existence of it was scrubbed. The player accussed of taking the swing at Gorno was never named.
Before the incident, Gorno had played in 14 games for the Blue Devils this season, recording 10 goals and 19 points. He was third on the team in points and second in goals.
Source: Petowsky News
