Ice hockey player Timur Faizutdinov dies after taking puck to his head

Ice hockey player Timur Faizutdinov, a full-back at Dynamo St. Petersburg, Russia, died in intensive care after an accident during the 1/8 finals of the Kharlamov Cup.

The 19-year-old athlete ended up in the intensive care unit of the Yaroslavl hospital after a puck hit his head during a match with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Faizutdinov took the shot from the middle zone. The match took place on March 12.

Doctors were trying to save his life for three days, but there was no positive dynamics.

Timur Faizutdinov was the captain of the youth team of the St. Petersburg club. He played about 200 matches.

The impact knocked the player down. He could not get up on his feet and was taken out on a stretcher.

The player's father, Ramil Faizutdinov, later wrote on social media that the puck hit Timur in the area of the carotid artery.

Faizutdinov's injury is a fatal coincidence. For the time being, it remains unclear, where exactly the puck struck the athlete.

It could hit him in the temple, but the player was wearing the helmet. This could be a tragic coincidence, because the vulnerable area in the head protection equipment is very small. It goes about the ear area - there is a very small cutout in the helmet, which is usually covered for extra protection. This cover is made of a piece of hard plastic that covers the ear, the temple and the artery.

Such NHL players as, for example, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Patrick Kane wear this protection on ice. Some others, through, for example, Alexander Ovechkin, Vladimir Tarasenko and Andrey Svechnikov, prefer not to wear it, most likely for matters of comfort. The plastic ear plates may squeeze and rub against your ears, which may distract the player's attention during the game. Timur Faizutdinov did not have ear protection.

The NHL does not prescribe ear protection as mandatory. Likewise, the MHL instructs ice hockey players to wear face protection (visor or full mask) and mouthguard. Neck protection is mandatory for all players under the age of 18 and recommended for older hockey players. Canadian and US junior clubs have similar requirements to equipment - mouthguard, face protection and neck protection.