Ducks Staff:
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Ducks are not looking for credit or praise, particularly not the individuals who make up their medical and training staffs. They were simply doing a job, a task they have spent many hours educating themselves on and practicing for, should the situation ever call for it. They do their work in the background, while the players they routinely associate with are in the limelight.
Mostly, they would prefer not to be seen as heroes, even though many have showered praise on them in the aftermath of the direct and supplementary assistance they provided to save the life of a man, a husband, a father and a hockey player.
St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester remains at UC Irvine Medical Center in nearby Orange, where he is resting comfortably and, according to those who have spoken with him, is in good spirits after suffering a cardiac episode on the team’s bench Tuesday night during the first period of their game against the Ducks. Bouwmeester, 36, continues to undergo a series of tests to determine the exact nature of the horrific moment that threatened his life.
We do not know the cause of Bouwmeester’s cardiac event. Nor do we know the future of an exemplary hockey career that had reached 1,240 NHL games, with another 75 in the postseason. Last spring provided the apex, with the widely respected defender hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time. Now he is in the hospital, resting as the Blues announced Friday that he underwent surgery for the insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The device restores the heart’s normal rhythm.
But we know that he is alive and seemingly well, which is all that matters.
The Blues and Ducks tried to go about their usual business on Thursday. Both lost, with St. Louis falling 6-5 in overtime to the Golden Knights in Vegas. Anaheim suffered a 6-0 home defeat to Calgary. Neither game was easy to play.
The one thing that provided comfort was the knowledge that Bouwmeester is still here for his family, friends and fans, that he has more days ahead. That there are hopefully many more, to where this episode no longer comes up first on a Google search of his name. And that right now he continues to receive the best of care.
That care began with the instantaneous response by his Blues teammates, St. Louis trainer Ray Barile, and Ducks players and staff, as well as the emergency medical technicians who also jumped into action. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong confirmed in a news conference Wednesday that an automated external defibrillator was used to revive Bouwmeester after he became unresponsive upon collapsing after his first-period shift.
Concern over Bouwmeester’s welfare has been paramount. The Ducks continue to have the defenseman in their thoughts. They’re also thankful to have a training and medical staff that showed its expertise and displayed incredible calm under pressure in a dire situation.
“That’s the whole thing,” Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf said. “They’re all trained in the things that you hope they never have to use. They put that on display the other night. It’s very good to see those guys in how they responded. And they’re humans, too. It affects them and the way they work. They hope they never have to do stuff like that. But everybody did an outstanding job.”
Initially, they didn’t feel like talking about their role in helping keep Bowmeester alive. This was not about them. But then Joe Huff, Chad Walker, Kevin Taylor and Dr. Kenton Fibel thought about the value their experience Tuesday might provide for other teams, organizations, even individuals who might have to encounter a similar episode.
It was St. Louis defenseman Vince Dunn who first noticed Bouwmeester in danger. And then everyone else quickly mobilized.
“From my vantage point, they started yelling, ‘Trainer,'” said Huff, the Ducks’ head athletic trainer. “And as soon as that happened, I jumped over the boards and I went to their bench. And they were removing the bench at that point. So, I helped them move the bench and then went to Jay’s side. At that point, (Chad) had already run and signaled with the fist in the air, which gets the paramedics.
“It’s the same sign everywhere we go. If you put your fist in the air. Obviously in most scenarios, you’re on the ice with the player so it’s pretty easy to see. The paramedics always know to look for that. As soon as that happens, that signals everybody.”
Fibel, who is Anaheim’s medical director and primary physician said, “We have a timeline. We just don’t know if it’s the right time to say it. We had compressions going quickly. The AED was working within a minute and a half. It’s just unbelievable how fast that got applied.”
“The players initially recognized the seriousness of the situation,” Huff said. “So that is really what triggered everyone else to respond to that.”
The emergency kit that all NHL teams must keep near both benches during games. (Eric Stephens / The Athletic)
Walker, who assists Huff on the training staff, said, “If you watch the clip, you can actually see (Alex) Pietrangelo. As soon as he sees something’s wrong, he sprints right over the Zamboni tunnel. Because he knows. I don’t think he was ever directly told that’s where help is. But they know that’s where the ambulance guys are and we need to get them out.”
Emergency medical personnel would stabilize Bouwmeester and take him out of the arena on a gurney. Within a few more minutes, he was rushed on the two-mile drive to the hospital, where physicians there were already notified of the critical situation. Before all that was the initial act of reviving him. It is why a defibrillator is part of a large red bag that is essentially an outsized emergency kit. One sits near each bench for every NHL game. Cardiac events involving Detroit’s Jiri Fischer in 2005 and Dallas’s Rich Peverley in 2014 have factored in the mandate of those as well as a team physician seated within 50 feet of the bench.
The team effort was something the four compared to how a NASCAR pit crew operates.
“I think everyone was doing different roles in whether someone was physically hands-on,” Fibel said. “Everybody had a part that was crucial to the final outcome. Their trainers were involved. Our trainers were quick to go over and assess and basically initiate the emergency action plan, which then involved our emergency physician that was in the stands. Myself. And the paramedics. EMS. Their head trainer, Ray, was the first one over at Jay’s side. I think everyone then started just naturally going into their role.”
All had to perform their roles correctly and rapidly.
“Whenever there’s what he had, which was a sudden cardiac arrest, time is of the essence,” Fibel said. “And really the quicker you induce their chest compressions and AED is really where the survival rate is significantly increased. Basically every minute that goes by — after a few minutes, the mortality rate or survival rate decreased by about 10 percent. So every minute is extremely crucial. Which is why we practice this as a group. Basically every second that ticks by, you’re losing your chance at a potential ability to save someone’s life.”
Each summer, hundreds of athletic trainers and equipment managers convene with team physicians and strength coaches for discussion, education and application of existing and new procedures within their fields. Emergency medical services professionals are also involved. It is a means to share knowledge and refine techniques.
In September, the Ducks’ staff reviewed and practiced its protocol to handle a traumatic event. No one ever anticipates the time when that protocol has to be enacted.
“It’s a testament to the practice,” Huff said. “Because let’s face it. How many times has this actually happened? I cannot tell you that I’m going to stay calm or that anyone’s going to stay calm. You practice and you hope that you practice enough that it becomes second nature and you’re able to just react and take care of — even if it’s not your specific duty, it is a duty that you know. You’re going down that mental checklist and everything is getting done in the order in which it should be.
“That’s the beauty of getting all together as a group and working with different teams and different doctors from different teams. Everybody. Equipment managers. Everybody that’s there. Everybody has something to do and it’s going to get done.”
The Ducks who spoke about Bouwmeester have shared a locker room with him. Getzlaf and Bouwmeester played together for Team Canada internationally, with both capturing gold medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Michael Del Zotto was alongside the defender for the Blues’ Cup run. Ryan Miller was his teammate in St. Louis in 2014.
They’ve been relieved by the positive news that has come out in the aftermath.
“Certainly, as we’ve kind of absorbed it, if suddenly that is going to happen, he’s in a pretty good place for it to happen,” Miller said. “The response by the medical staff on both sides and the emergency crews definitely kept him with us. We’re thankful to that group, and we’re happy that everything seems like Jay is going to be able to proceed with his life.”
The Ducks’ staff is receiving universal recognition for its response to the emergency. Armstrong thanked them in a statement released Thursday night and during his press briefing. Their work behind the scenes has been brought into the light.
“I’m not a doctor,” Del Zotto said. “I don’t understand how this stuff works. But I understand it can be a matter of seconds or minutes and things can change pretty drastically. It was great to see how quickly everyone went out there. Especially in a situation like that where everyone is panicking around them. To remain calm, cool and collected and they did their job. Hats off to them.
“I’ve had it before with skate cuts. It’s always comforting to know that you have numerous guys that are very well qualified to take care of you if any emergency were to happen. We have a great staff here. We’re thankful to have them.”
Ducks coach Dallas Eakins took it a step further.
“We’re in great hands,” Eakins said. “You wish nothing to happen to anyone. I can tell you one thing. If I’m going to have a heart attack, I hope I have it on the bench. And I’m not even joking. I don’t want to have it in my car. I don’t want to have it out on my bike. If I’m going down, please put me down on the bench. Please. Because I know those people are right there to help me.”
Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester is still recovering at UC Irvine Medical Center. (Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)
Many people took action to bring about some semblance of order during a time of complete chaos. Dunn and Pietrangelo immediately recognizing Bouwmeester was in distress. Armstrong was on the telephone with Bouwmeester’s wife, Devon, (who was not watching the game) to give her all the details and reassure that her husband was receiving the best care. The Blues got Bouwmeester’s father, Dan, to the hospital so he could be with his son. Ducks GM Bob Murray got in touch with league personnel and top officials from both teams in conjunction with the NHL to make the proper decision to postpone the game.
“It was irrelevant obviously,” Getzlaf said. “Sports are second to anything when it comes to stuff like that. The organizations got together. Talked. Did the right thing. Talked to their players. Our players. What we wanted to do and what we felt was best for Jay.”
Said Eakins: “It was 100 percent the right call. It would be head-shaking if anybody was questioning that.”
Among the things hardest for some to reconcile is the idea of Bouwmeester being the one in harm’s way. A cardiac episode can happen to anyone and it would be no less traumatizing. But what makes it tougher is, Bouwmeester long has been hailed for his commitment to physical fitness. Teammates and opponents marvel at his conditioning and how much of a role it has played in his durability. He has one of the league’s longest ironman streaks — a 737-game run that lasted for a decade.
“Not to say it should happen to anyone, but he is a specimen,” Del Zotto said. “He is a freak of nature in how he takes care of his body and his strength and conditioning. His off-ice program. So, he’d be the last guy you would think that would happen to. But it just goes to show it can happen to anyone.
“What is he, 36? He’s an animal. He’s the last guy you’d assume that would happen to. It’s unfortunate to see. It just goes to show it can happen to anyone. Puts things into perspective that you really cherish each day. Live it. It could be your last because you never know.”
There is a juxtaposition. To live your life fully, you must have a sense of normalcy, and part of that is assuming that you will wake up each day and go about your business. But an event like Tuesday’s, in full view of a large crowd at an arena and those watching on television, is a stark warning that life can’t be taken for granted.
“I just think we’re all at risk and we all do our best to keep our bodies in the best shape possible,” Eakins said. “That’s a great reminder. You can be a very, very fit young man and things might not be wired right that one day. There’s no rhyme or reason to anything sometimes.”
On Thursday, Eakins included a discussion about Tuesday night as he prepared his team for its game against the Flames. “And then we got on the ice,” he said, “because that’s what we do.”
The game’s result, hours later, raised a question about possible carryover. Calgary jumped out to a 4-0 first-period lead and shifted into coast mode as the Ducks failed to convert on their offensive chances. They’ll have to sharpen their focus, and suffering the most lopsided loss of the season should make that easier as they head back out on the road for games Sunday (Vancouver) and Monday (Calgary).
But they could at least start moving on with some level of peace, after being a witness to horror.
“The fortunate part about it all is Jay’s OK,” Getzlaf said. “If we were sitting here in a different situation and things didn’t go as well as they did, I’m sure today would be a little bit different of a conversation. A little bit harder.”
Eakins said some Ducks have reached out to Bouwmeester. He did also. He got a text back, which made him feel the defenseman is in good spirits.
Still, Eakins thought about the fragility of life. He noted the recent tragic helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others. Miller echoed those sentiments and said the Bouwmeester incident brought both a harsh dose of realism and an opportunity to reflect and appreciate the ability to play a sport they enjoy. “We’re not as strong as we think we are all the time,” the goalie said.
“No one’s immune,” he added. “We think we can guard against it with either exercise. Vitamins. Eat healthy. Say your prayers. Everything. There’s just certain things you can’t avoid. So, you have to enjoy what’s in front of you.”
Eakins praised the “unbelievable teamwork” from everyone involved on Tuesday night. “They saved a young man’s life,” he said.
At the forefront was a group of people who hoped to never put this kind of training into use but were at their absolute best when needed.
“We don’t do this with the expectation of getting a thank you,” Fibel said. “It’s always nice to get those. And do we appreciate those and does it reinforce some of the practicing and the hard work that we put in? I think it does. But I think at the end of the day, this is our job and this is what we expect of ourselves. And this is what drives us to continue to look at how we can always make ourselves better and do better for the future.”
Praiseworthy stuff.