If you watched the Blues-Rangers game back on October 15th, you caught a good victory by the Blues. Unfortunately, you also saw a really startling moment when a puck shot by Ryan McDonagh soared over the glass and struck a young fan in the face. The fan, nine-year-old Alex Vaughn, was hit by the puck just under the nose and needed 16 stitches to close a one-inch cut located beneath his nose. He also needed four more stitches inside his mouth.
The Blues, being the great organization that they are, immediately tried to make things up to Alex. Prior to the team’s recent game at home against the Flames, Vladimir Tarasenko gave Alex a tour of the team’s locker room. He met up with several Blues skaters including Alex Pietrangelo and Robert Bortuzzo as well as Barret Jackman and Darren Pang. He received a game-used stick from Tarasenko, a signed puck from Pietrangelo and a team-signed stick from McDonagh and the New York Rangers which also included a “Get well soon!” message.
The moment was incredibly frightening to see, but it sounds like Alex and his family are taking things in stride and he’s recovering well. The game of hockey moves extremely quickly and unfortunately, even with the protective netting, accidents can happen. Thankfully, Alex wasn’t injured more seriously than he was.
Incidents like these should remind fans of two things:
1. Watching a hockey game requires your attention because you never know when a puck might leave the ice.
2. The Blues and Rangers (and countless other teams) handle these situations extremely well. No one likes to see a fan get injured, especially a youngster like Alex. It’s awesome that both organizations took the time to wish Alex the best. Those gestures won’t only help his recovery, but they’ll also guarantee he’s a fan for life.
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