Wyoming boy, 11, suffers 'parent's worst nightmare' in horrific skating accident
An 11-year-old hockey player from Wyoming narrowly escaped tragedy when a razor-sharp skate struck his neck during a game, his life only spared by a newly implemented safety rule.
Carter Lein, 11, was playing defense on the ice for the Oilers Under 12 team against a Park City, Utah team Sunday afternoon when an opponent's skate lacerated his neck, leaving behind a large, bloody gash.
A new rule implemented this year, requiring neck guards for players aged 18 and under, played a crucial role in saving his life, as a CT scan revealed the cut was just an inch away from his artery.
'It's just every hockey parent's worst nightmare,' Nick Lein, Carter's father, told Cowboy State Daily.
'I grew up playing, and I knew those things could happen, but it was never a fear of mine,' he added. 'And you know, when we played, we didn't wear neck guards.'
During the game, Carter was working to prevent a loose puck from crossing the goal line while players from the opposing team were simultaneously trying to score.
'I was facing the puck and I did trip my opponent, accidently,' Carter told Oil City News. 'When I tripped him, he was going down and while he was going down, his skate came up and got me good in the neck.'
'I didn't really feel is because of adrenaline, but I knew something bad happened.'
Carter Lein, 11, a hockey player in Wyoming, narrowly escaped tragedy when a razor-sharp skate struck his neck during a game
Carter was playing defense on the ice for the Oilers Under 12 team against a Park City, Utah team Sunday afternoon when an opponent's skate lacerated his neck, leaving behind a large, bloody gash
When the puck went into the net, Carter collapsed to his knees in front of the goal. He then released some equipment and skated to the team bench, where his father - one of the coaches of the team - initially thought he was holding his chin.
'And then I just kind of saw the panic on his face and could hear him saying, "My neck, my neck,"' Nick told Cowboy State Daily.
'You sometimes hear about these crazy stories happening and you just never think it is going to happen,' he added. 'It was definitely terrifying.'
Laura Lein, Carter's mother, watched anxiously as her son skated toward the bench. Rising from her seat in the crowd, a mother's instinct told her something was wrong as she slowly walked towards the scene, her eyes fixed on him.
Fear only grew when Nick had his son remove his hand from his neck, exposing a deep wound caused by a skate. In an instant, he raised his arms up and urgently for a medic.
'Pandemonium just kind of rang out,' Laura told Cowboy State Daily. 'The buzzer sounded and I started running. I called to anybody to call 911.'
The scene quickly turned into chaos. Multiple parents began running to the bench, while others dialed emergency services.
'Everyone jumped in in a millisecond,' Carter told Oil City News. 'Everyone was asking me questions - they were holding my neck, they were yelling, they were screaming, and I heard the buzzer.'
A new rule implemented this year, requiring neck guards for players aged 18 and under, played a crucial role in saving his life, as a CT scan revealed the cut was just an inch away from his artery
When the puck went into the net, Carter collapsed to his knees in front of the goal. He then released some equipment and skated to the team bench, where his father - one of the coaches of the team - initially thought he was holding his chin
Clay Wilson, the team trainer and trained medical professional, quickly removed his own sweatshirt and pressed it against Carter's neck to apply pressure.
As Laura approached the bench where her son was, she was gently directed to sit in front of him with the goal of keeping him as calm and relaxed as possible.
'He was being so calm, but he was also crying and saying, "I'm so scared, I'm so scared," because he remembered vividly the hockey player that passed away from a neck injury like this,' Laura told Oil City News.
The blade of the skate ultimately lacerated Carter's throat, an injury eerily similar to former NHL and European hockey player Adam Johnson a few years back.
In October of 2023, Johnson collided with a player on the opposite team and fell toward the ice in front of a crowd of 8,000 spectators.
An opponent inadvertently 'kicked up' his left skate as Johnson hit the frozen rink, landing directly on the blade.
The 29-year-old hockey player attempted to get up and skate back towards the team's bench, much like Carter had, but he eventually collapsed on the ice.
Johnson was rushed to a local hospital where he was tragically pronounced dead.
As parents in the crowd rushed into action, Kevin Anderson, the head coach of the team, did his best to try to keep both the boys and their parents calm, explaining that it was 'definitely traumatic for them'
Carter, who had sustained two deep cuts, was rushed to the emergency room where he received eight stitches to close the wounds
As time seemed to stretch both slowly and quickly after the horrific accident, Carter remembered thinking, 'Am I going to die?' - haunted by the memory of Johnson's death.
'I'm scared. Like, what do I do?' Carter told Oil City News. 'I started thinking of places that I wanted to be other than that place. I was trying not to focus on it, but it was hard because of the pain.'
A deputy at the jail, who also worked with Nick, quickly rushed to his truck and grabbed his medical bag, using a gauze to apply additional pressure to the wound until the EMTs arrived.
'It was amazing how many people leapt into action,' Laura told Oil City News. 'As a parent, Nick and I - we were there to keep Carter calm, but you just move into survival mode.'
'You don't have time to really feel like, "This is my child, this is terrifying." You just have to act,' she added. 'You have to do what you're being told to do. You have to keep him calm. You just have to survive in the moment instead of feeling it, or you'll completely lose it.'
As parents in the crowd rushed into action, Kevin Anderson, the head coach of the team, did his best to try to keep both the boys and their parents calm.
'Obviously, Nick was with Carter, so from that point I took on the role of just clearing our kids off the bench,' he told Oil City News. 'I didn't really want the kids to be seeing what was going on. We were just trying to keep the trauma at a minimum.'
'It was definitely traumatic for them,' Anderson told Cowboy State Daily, adding how he has been with all of the players on the team since they were just six-years-old.
When Carter arrived at the Banner Health Medical Center Emergency Room, he was assisted by a familiar face - Dr. Eugene Duquette, the grandfather of one of his teammates
Fortunately, Carter (pictured: sitting in red jersey) is okay, but he's uncertain about his future in hockey, feeling nervous about returning to the ice after the traumatic incident
More than 20 calls were placed to 911, according to Nick, and within two to three minutes, EMTs and firefighters arrived at the arena.
'When he was getting wheeled out of the arena on the stretcher, you hear the crowd just go wild for him,' Laura told Oil City News.
'It was just incredible. The whole crowd, our fans, the Park City fans - everybody just erupted for him,' she added. 'It was incredible.'
Carter was rushed to the Banner Health Medical Center Emergency Room where he was assisted by a familiar face - Dr. Eugene Duquette, the grandfather of one of his teammates.
'We were so incredibly blessed,' Laura told Cowboy State Daily. 'Knowing that it was Dr. Duquette, someone that Carter knew and trusted and had been with us the entire season, we are good friends with his family.'
Carter, who had sustained two deep cuts, received eight stitches to close the wounds. A CT scan revealed that one of the cuts was just an inch away from a major artery.
Fortunately, Carter is okay, but he's uncertain about his future in hockey, feeling nervous about returning to the ice after the traumatic incident.
'I'm still thinking about it,' Carter told Oil City News. 'When I was in the hospital, I was telling my parents I never wanted to play again. I didn't want to do anything like that.'
The blade of the skate ultimately lacerated Carter's throat, an injury eerily similar to former NHL and European hockey player Adam Johnson a few years back
In October of 2023, Johnson (ringed) collided with a player on the opposite team and fell toward the ice in front of a crowd of 8,000 spectators
An opponent inadvertently 'kicked up' his left skate as Johnson hit the frozen rink, landing directly on the blade
'But today, I'm really stuck because just a few days before, in school, I had to write down a little poem, and I said that if an injury happened it would ruin my whole dreams,' he added. 'And that was only like two days before it happened. So it's just... I don't know yet.'
Nick told Cowboy State Daily that hockey has been his son's 'passion and dream' for the last six years. However, both he and Laura support whatever decision Carter makes.
'Hockey has been my life since I was 3 or 4 years old,' Nick told Cowboy State Daily. 'And for me, if he decides he doesn't want to play anymore, then he doesn't, and my wife and I will completely support that decision.'
'It's been his passion, his dream,' he added. 'I think over time, he'll want to play again... I won't be upset either way.'
Carter is now home, and Laura has described him as 'resilient,' though also 'scared' and 'shaken' by the incident.
Yet Carter's parents remain immensely grateful for the mandated neck guard, as it is the piece of equipment that saved their son's life.
'This time last year, player's weren't wearing neck guards, which is a scary thought,' Laura told Oil City News. USA Hockey implemented the mandate in August of 2024.
'As a player, you just never think something like that is going to happen to you,' Nick told Oil City News.
The 29-year-old hockey player attempted to get up and skate back towards the team's bench, much like Carter had, but he eventually collapsed on the ice and was pronounced dead at the hospital
As time seemed to stretch both slowly and quickly after the horrific accident, Carter remembered thinking, 'Am I going to die?' - haunted by the memory of Johnson's death
'And then, when it comes to coaching and having your own kid and other people's kids out there, it's everybody's worst fear. But I'm super grateful that this mandate has been implemented.'
Anderson told Oil City News that, despite hearing some complaints about having to wear neck guards, he firmly believes those concerns will fade.
'Obviously the protective equipment is there for a reason,' Anderson told the outlet. 'Had Carter not been wearing that neck guard, we could be looking at a much different situation here.'
Carter has since returned to school and 'feels like a normal kid again,' according to Cowboy State Daily.
'Looking back on it now, it was very, very surreal,' Laura told the outlet.
'I have more emotion about it now because I am not in survival mode. I can actually feel what had happened, and I find zero words to describe it.'
