Ontario hockey player shocked when skate breaks after being hit by puck

In Barrie, Ont. recreational hockey player says he was stunned when he blocked a shot during a game and the puck broke the toe of his two-year-old skates.

“I looked at my foot and my toecap had completely exploded from my skate,” said Dylan Swan. “It was pretty much right in the toe. The whole stopper opened. “

Swan said he played in three men’s leagues, three times a week, and said the skates he owned were CCM FT380s, which were around two years old and originally cost around $ 600.

When the tip of the skate broke, his toenail also split, his foot became swollen, and he has not been able to return to the ice for the past three weeks.

“My foot went numb. Immediately I woke up from pure adrenaline and then slipped on the ice again, ”Swan said.

When he contacted CCM Canada to tell them what had happened, he was told it was unfortunate, but the skates were no longer under warranty.

“What they told me was with the perfect shot, from the perfect angle, it could happen. So my question is why do they design them that way?” Swan said.

CTV News Toronto has contacted CCM Canada, headquartered in Montreal, and the company said the skates are designed for fast action and rough play, so it is highly unusual for a tip on a skate to break. .

Jeff Dalzell, product manager at CCM, said the skates are rigorously tested and the same level of safety is applied to the skates whether they are intended for someone who plays in the NHL or recreational hockey.

“CCM stands behind its products and will always do so with safety first. We’ve been producing skates since 1904 with our brand and we have a very robust and rigorous process to make sure what comes to market meets all of our safety requirements, ”said Dalzell.

Dalzell said washers were pulled at skates at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour during the testing process and said it is extremely rare for a tip to break.

Dalzell said it was difficult to speculate on what happened without seeing the skate first, but said cold, wear and other factors could have caused the tip to fail.

“There could have been something compromised. There might have been loose rivets that left the bit in an not ideal position. There could have been a gash in the skate from a blade that compromised the tip, ”said Dalzell.

The MCC instructed Swan to send the damaged skate to them so that it could be examined and inspected by company researchers.

CCM gave Swan another pair of high-end CCM skates as a replacement.

“These are the best so they should offer enough protection, more than I had, I hope anyway,” Swan said.

The MCC said that because hockey can be a tough sport, all players should examine their equipment for cracks, nicks or loose parts and if the equipment is damaged it should be replaced before it doesn’t break down.