Hockey player dies from fight-related injury

A fight-related injury has cost a 21-year-old senior hockey league player his life.

Don Sanderson, a defenceman for the Whitby Dunlops of the O.H.A. (Ontario Hockey Association), died in Hamilton General Hospital early Friday. The news was reported on the Whitby, Ont., team's website.

Sanderson had been in a coma since Dec. 14, as a result of his involvement in a fight during an Ontario Hockey Association senior game against the Brantford Blast.

Sanderson was fighting forward Corey Fulton during the third period and his helmet came off during the confrontation. Near the end of the tussle, both players fell and Sanderson's unprotected head hit the ice.

Sanderson was out cold on the ice for about 30 seconds, before briefly regaining consciousness. He eventually fell into a coma and was was placed on life support.

Dunlops president Steve Cardwell says the fight wasn't that rough.

"It didn't look like it was as bad as obviously this has turned out to be," he said. "At the time, it looked like so many other fights that anybody connected with hockey would have watched over the last number of years."

Cardwell thinks there needs to be a dialogue on the bigger issues surrounding Sanderson's death.

"Any time a tragedy like this happens — and it could have been prevented by a number of rule changes, or the way helmets are made, or the way that they work — that debate needs to happen," he said.

Team dedicates season to player

Sanderson, a native of Port Perry, Ont., attended York University. He had also played in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League for the Ajax Attack and the Trenton Sting.

His death is making Whitby captain Peter MacKellar wonder if the rules should be changed.

"I got into a fight one or two games later and my helmet came off, and all of a sudden you're thinking about Don and you're thinking, `Jeez this could happen right now,"' he said.

"But I've seen so many helmets come off and I've seen people hit their heads on the ice before and, you know, [there were] no real complications."

MacKellar says the Dunlops are dedicating the rest of the season to Sanderson's memory.

"We'll just have to work just as hard as he did, because he really worked so hard this year, and I was just so impressed with his work ethic and just his loyalty to his team," he said.

"If we can rally for him and play for him — play in his honour — I think that'd be a nice touch."