BILLINGS — A Wyoming family is thankful for safety changes made by USA Hockey that required every player to wear a neck guard, following a near tragic incident in Casper when a skate sliced their 11-year-old son's neck.
The incident happened during a U12 game between the Casper Oilers and a hockey team from Park City, Utah, but was paused quickly when Carter Lein was struck by the skate amidst a scrum in front of the goal.
In seconds, panic set in for everyone in attendance, especially Carter's mom Lauren Lein.
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"I didn't see it," Lauren said in an online web interview Monday afternoon. "I didn't see it. It was so quick."
Quickly following the incident, buzzers sounded and both teams cleared the ice. That's when Lauren figured out her son's life was in jeopardy.
"It's emotional now because thinking back on it, how terrifying it was," Lein said. "But during the actual event, I wasn't feeling anything. I just sort of kicked back into survival mode."
Members of the coaching staff used sweatshirts to apply pressure to Carter's wounds in an attempt to slow the blood loss. Lein said she all she could do was accompany her son and try to remain calm.
"I kind of just got in his face and said, 'You're okay. You're okay,'" Lein said. "I grabbed his hand, which had his blood on it and so that was awful."
Carter was rushed to the nearest hospital where he received stitches for his 7-inch long laceration, which started a little behind his ear.
His mother said that as the crowd in attendance panicked, all of them had thoughts of former hockey player Adam Johnson, who died in 2023 after being struck by a skate during a game in England.
Since that incident, many leagues have made neck guards mandatory. Fortunately, Carter's league in Wyoming was one of them.
"That neck guard saved his life," Lein said. "Because if it had not been there it would've reached all the way to here and it probably would've cut two inches deeper."
Billings Bulls Youth Hockey Club Director Sean Gilmore said he's glad that neck guards are required these days.
"I remember back in my day, playing as a youth, neck guards were optional," Gilmore said. "I'm grateful that it's really there now because it is about safety."
And Lein is thankful the changes were made ahead of this season — knowing this nightmare could've ended even worse.
"This time last year at the exact tournament they weren't wearing neck guards," Lein said. "If I dive further into how bad this could've been, I don't think I could actually find the words for it."
