After being struck in the head by a puck during the Memorial Cup tournament in Kelowna, hockey fan Dave Bellew is well on his way to making a full recovery.
The Kitchener native who now calls Kelowna home was taking in some of the action at Prospera Place on Tuesday, May 27, with his family when a puck came flying into the stands during the third period of play between the Kitchener Rangers and the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
Bellew was holding his toddler son Cohen at the time of the incident.
“That instinct kicked in. I had just enough time to react as I was holding my baby Cohen, so fortunately I got him out of the way because that would be a situation you don’t even want to think about,” said Bellew.
Following the medical attention he received from staff members at Prospera Place, the family man was transported in an ambulance to Kelowna General Hospital, where he received more than 30 stitches.
Despite the high speed of the puck when he was hit, Bellew left the hospital with no concussion; just stitches and a memory that will last a lifetime.
“The gratitude towards everyone that was there… They acted promptly. They cared for me and took me to the ambulance,” remembered Bellew.
“The crowd got loud when we walked out of there that night. I was thankful to be able to get on my own two feet and walk out.”
Twenty-four hours later, Bellew returned to the arena to watch more hockey with his family, making sure his tournament package didn’t go to waste.
Bellew’s dad, who is a long-time Rangers season ticket holder in Kitchener, flew in from Ontario to watch the tournament with his son, grandson and other family members.
“It’s a big part of my dad’s life… so it was a big tournament to bring three generations together,” said Bellew days later.
The unfortunate incident turned into a memorable story for Bellew, who was quickly contacted by the Rangers organization after the injury.
He tells Black Press Media he was invited to MNP Place to meet the team, and the player who shot the puck into the stands, Andrew MacNiel.
“Right away, he got off the rink and reached out to me to check in and see how we were doing and to apologize, so it was a classy move,” added Bellew.
“The whole organization reached out and arranged to have us come in for a practice session. They gifted us some signed memorabilia. It was an unforgettable experience.”
One week later, Bellew said the stitches have been removed.