Death of Brittanie Cecil
Encyclopedia
Brittanie Nichole Cecil was a hockey
fan who died from injuries suffered when a puck
was deflected into the stands and struck her in the left temple at Nationwide Arena
in Columbus, Ohio
, on March 16, 2002. It was the first fan fatality in the NHL's history.
Brittanie's death was the first of its kind in the 85-year history of the National Hockey League
(NHL). Consequently, the league implemented mandatory netting at either end of the rink in every stadium at the beginning of the next NHL season in 2002–03 to protect spectators from errant pucks.
In April, 2004, a little over two years after Brittanie's death, her parents received $1.2 million in a settlement with the NHL and other groups.
, a small farming suburb of Dayton
, Brittanie was an avid sports fan, a farmer and soccer player, competing in a state tournament with her team, the Orange Crush, at eleven years old. Upon qualifying for the state tournament, mayor Carol Lunsford declared the day Orange Crush Day. Brittanie attended Twin Valley South Middle School as a cheerleader, student council member and an honor student.
play the Calgary Flames
on March 16, 2002, on tickets received as an early gift from her father for her 14th birthday. A shot by the Blue Jackets' Espen Knutsen
was deflected by the Flames' Derek Morris and went over the glass behind the net, striking her in the left temple. Play carried on as the players were unaware of having caused any serious injury. In fact, although Brittanie had suffered a skull fracture, she walked to a first-aid station before being taken to Columbus Children's Hospital in an ambulance with her only visible injury being a gash on her forehead. At the hospital, she suffered an initial seizure and was admitted, but the next day she appeared to be recovering, both communicative and ambulatory, and without complaints of pain or dizziness. A CT-scan, however, had failed to catch a torn vertebral artery
, resulting in severe clotting and swelling of the brain. On March 18, she developed a high fever and lost consciousness. She died nearly 48 hours after being struck, at 5:15 p.m. on March 18, 2002, two days before her 14th birthday.
Brittanie's funeral was held at Preble Memory Gardens Chapel near West Alexandria, after which a procession of more than 150 cars followed the hearse to Fairview Cemetery, where she was buried. Attending the funeral was Blue Jackets general manager Doug MacLean
, who spoke on behalf of the team.
. Her initials "BNC" were worn by the team's players on their helmets for the remainder of the season and the Brittanie Cecil Memorial Fund has since been created, which collects donations at every Blue Jackets home game.
Knutsen and Morris, the two players who combined for the fatal slapshot, expressed remorse following Brittanie's death. Morris, who deflected the puck, explained, "You try to say, 'It happens all the time,' but you can't. I don't know how many times pucks get deflected over the glass, but it doesn't make it any better. You can always say, 'It's not my fault,' but you always feel like it is, a little." Knutsen, who was given the option of sitting out the next game by Blue Jackets coach Dave King
but chose to play, told reporters, "I think about it all the time. It was a terrible accident, and I cannot get it off my mind."
In December of 2010, Knutsen met with Brittanie's family, bringing some closure to both parties.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
fan who died from injuries suffered when a puck
Hockey puck
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
was deflected into the stands and struck her in the left temple at Nationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Columbus, Ohio, USA. It opened in 2000 and is the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, of the NHL....
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, on March 16, 2002. It was the first fan fatality in the NHL's history.
Brittanie's death was the first of its kind in the 85-year history of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). Consequently, the league implemented mandatory netting at either end of the rink in every stadium at the beginning of the next NHL season in 2002–03 to protect spectators from errant pucks.
In April, 2004, a little over two years after Brittanie's death, her parents received $1.2 million in a settlement with the NHL and other groups.
Personal life
A native of West Alexandria, OhioWest Alexandria, Ohio
West Alexandria is a village in Preble County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,395 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:West Alexandria is located at ....
, a small farming suburb of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Brittanie was an avid sports fan, a farmer and soccer player, competing in a state tournament with her team, the Orange Crush, at eleven years old. Upon qualifying for the state tournament, mayor Carol Lunsford declared the day Orange Crush Day. Brittanie attended Twin Valley South Middle School as a cheerleader, student council member and an honor student.
The incident
Brittanie had been watching the Columbus Blue JacketsColumbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
play the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
on March 16, 2002, on tickets received as an early gift from her father for her 14th birthday. A shot by the Blue Jackets' Espen Knutsen
Espen Knutsen
Kjell Espen Knutsen is a Norwegian former professional ice hockey player and currently the head coach of Vålerenga in the Norwegian GET-ligaen. He played five seasons in the National Hockey League , and is to date the only Norwegian to have played in the NHL All-Star Game...
was deflected by the Flames' Derek Morris and went over the glass behind the net, striking her in the left temple. Play carried on as the players were unaware of having caused any serious injury. In fact, although Brittanie had suffered a skull fracture, she walked to a first-aid station before being taken to Columbus Children's Hospital in an ambulance with her only visible injury being a gash on her forehead. At the hospital, she suffered an initial seizure and was admitted, but the next day she appeared to be recovering, both communicative and ambulatory, and without complaints of pain or dizziness. A CT-scan, however, had failed to catch a torn vertebral artery
Vertebral artery
The vertebral arteries are major arteries of the neck. They branch from the subclavian arteries and merge to form the single midline basilar artery in a complex called the vertebrobasilar system, which supplies blood to the posterior part of the circle of Willis and thus significant portions of the...
, resulting in severe clotting and swelling of the brain. On March 18, she developed a high fever and lost consciousness. She died nearly 48 hours after being struck, at 5:15 p.m. on March 18, 2002, two days before her 14th birthday.
Brittanie's funeral was held at Preble Memory Gardens Chapel near West Alexandria, after which a procession of more than 150 cars followed the hearse to Fairview Cemetery, where she was buried. Attending the funeral was Blue Jackets general manager Doug MacLean
Doug MacLean
Douglas MacLean, is a Canadian sportscaster and former ice hockey coach and general manager...
, who spoke on behalf of the team.
Aftermath
The Thursday after the incident, a moment of silence was observed for Brittanie at the next Blue Jackets home game, played against the Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. Her initials "BNC" were worn by the team's players on their helmets for the remainder of the season and the Brittanie Cecil Memorial Fund has since been created, which collects donations at every Blue Jackets home game.
Knutsen and Morris, the two players who combined for the fatal slapshot, expressed remorse following Brittanie's death. Morris, who deflected the puck, explained, "You try to say, 'It happens all the time,' but you can't. I don't know how many times pucks get deflected over the glass, but it doesn't make it any better. You can always say, 'It's not my fault,' but you always feel like it is, a little." Knutsen, who was given the option of sitting out the next game by Blue Jackets coach Dave King
Dave King (ice hockey)
W. David King is a Canadian hockey coach who has been head coach in the National Hockey League, the Russian Super League, the Winter Olympics, and the IIHF world junior championships. He was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan....
but chose to play, told reporters, "I think about it all the time. It was a terrible accident, and I cannot get it off my mind."
In December of 2010, Knutsen met with Brittanie's family, bringing some closure to both parties.