'Everything went black and there was a ringing in my ears': CJHL enacts new concussion protocols

It was the first game of the season. Matthew Chekay and his fellow Estevan Bruins were in Mellville to kick off another long Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League campaign.

During the third period, Chekay pulled the puck out of a scrum in the neutral zone and turned to skate away. He saw a Melville player to his right and took evasive action. That's when another player hit him in the back.  

It's a fast game, stuff happens.- Matthew Chekay

"I really didn't see that guy coming…I kind of went head first into the boards there…everything went black and there was a ringing in my ears," Chekay said on CBC's Saskatoon Morning.

"I knew right there it wasn't looking good."

Chekay is well-versed in the signs and symptoms of a concussion. This was Chekay's fifth. When the ringing in his ears and the fog in his mind lifted a little, the young man with big dreams understood it was time to hang up the skates.   

"I weighed the pros and cons of playing hockey for a few more years or going to school, I didn't want to go to school this early because I wanted to keep playing but I knew if I got more concussions, later in life it wouldn't be the best thing for me."

CJHL launches new concussion app 

Chekay's story, one that has played out countless times in sport, comes as the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) implements a new concussion protocol that sets guidelines for the recognition, assessment and management of the injury.

"Player safety is our number one priority," the CJHL's Brent Ladds president said in a news release, adding that "the long-term effects of concussion are a growing concern for our organization, our athletes and their families."

The new CJHL program uses mobile and web based technology to allow team trainers to follow concussion protocol, and for the league to make sure the teams and players are following the rules. The stakes are high, according to the league. Ten to 20 per cent of concussion patients may face a difficult recovery, sometimes leading to mental health issues.

Bruins help keep Chekay's dream alive 

Chekay said he is fortunate to have played for the Bruins, a team that takes concussions seriously. He said the Bruins were already using a mobile app and that thanks to their commitment to player safety he skated away from the game with his dream of attending medical school intact.

"It's kind of hard not to want to go play, but I'm starting school in January so I'm kind of excited to get that portion of my life going."

As for the Melville player who sent Chekay into the boards, out of the game of hockey and into academia a little earlier than expected, he said all is forgiven.

"It's a fast game, stuff happens."

- with files from Saskatoon Morning