Hockey mom calls for better cut protection and training after son's serious injury

After her teenage son survived a life-threatening on-ice injury, a London hockey mother is calling for equipment upgrades and expanded training to deal with massive blood-loss injuries caused by errant skate blades.

"People shouldn't lose their life over this when there is free training available," said Jennifer Thorpe, whose son Tyler had a close call while playing hockey in March 2024 in Chatham, Ont.

At the time of his injury, Tyler Thorpe's biggest concern was fighting to get control of the puck late in the third period with the game on the line.

Thorpe, then 14, was playing for the U15 Elgin Middlesex Canucks. There was a faceoff in the offensive zone, and the Canucks had pulled their goalie in an attempt to tie the game.

As Thorpe skated toward the corner, an opposing player fell in front of him, his skate swinging upward as he fell. The blade cut into Thorpe's wrist as he tried to skate past.

"His skate just came up and caught me," said Thorpe. "I knew something was wrong right away, I just didn't know what it was. I just went to the bench."

Thorpe had suffered a cut on his inner wrist, an area of exposed skin between the cuff of his glove and elbow pad. The skate blade had cut through a tendon and artery, creating the kind of blood loss that, without the correct rapid response, can be fatal in minutes.

"I didn't look down because I didn't want to pass out," said Thorpe.

Thorpe's mother, Jennifer, was watching the game and knew her son was hurt when he skated to the bench. It wasn't until she got to the team's dressing room that she understood the severity of the situation.

"When I got down to the changeroom, there were all these panicked grown men. The look on their faces … I'll never forget. It was just a very scary situation," she said.

A bit of bad luck may have played a role in Tyler Thorpe's injury, but he also had plenty of good luck with him on the ice that afternoon.

By pure chance, working as a trainer on the other team's bench was Dr. James Menlove, an emergency doctor with St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. Spotting the danger of the situation, Menlove dashed over to Thorpe's bench and was able to tourniquet the wound to quickly limit the life-threatening blood loss.

Menlove wound up holding Thorpe's wound closed for three hours, riding with the now 16-year-old in the ambulance and staying with him while he was assessed and treated in the emergency room.

The next day, Thorpe underwent the first of two surgeries at London's Children's Hospital to have his artery, tendon and nerve damage repaired. Though he now has a crescent-shaped scar on his wrist, Thorpe has made a full recovery and is now playing for the U18 London Junior Knights.