Sportsmanship at its finest.
After Hershey Bears forward Kale Kessy was KO’d by Charlotte Checkers forward Derek Sheppard in an AHL game on Tuesday, Sheppard showed great sportsmanship by immediately waving for help.
The fight occurred midway through the second period with Hershey leading 4-1. The 6’2″, 171 lbs Kessy is no stranger to dropping the gloves. According to HockeyFights.com, this scrap was the 135th fight for Kessy since 2019-10. Sheppard, who is listed at 6’0″ and 216 lbs, was fighting for the sixth time this season.
You never want to see any player get knocked unconscious, but it’s the reaction from Sheppard that makes this such a cool story. Both Sheppard and the linesmen were quick to realize the severity of the situation and call for help.
Medical personnel immediately rushed onto the ice to attend to Kessy. According to multiple reports, Kessy was down on the ice for around eight minutes before being stretchered off the ice with an oxygen mask over his face.
The two teams were sent to their respective dressing rooms after the knockout and considered cancelling and postponing the game to a later date.They ultimately decided to play on.
The Hershey Bears sent out a tweet after the incident that detailed what happened to Kessy on his ice and his current condition.
“Per our media and medical team, Kale Kessy was struck in a fight. He lost, but regained consciousness on the ice. He is alert, and in stable condition, and being transported to a local medical facility. Kessy told his teammates before leaving the ice, ‘go win the game,’”.
Kessy was discharged from hospital on Wednesday February 26, less than 24 hours after being knocked unconscious on the ice. The Hershey Bears tweeted out an official statement on his release.
“Hershey Bears forward Kale Kessy sustained an injury during a fight on the February 25, 2020 games. He was transported to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and was kept overnight for observation. The athlete has been discharged this morning on February 26, 2020.”
Kessy also issued a statement after he was released from hospital.
“I would like to send my heartfelt thank you to Hershey Bears fans for their thoughts, prayers, and support following my injury last night. Additionally, I’d like to thank our trainers, doctors, EMTs, Bob Goodman, and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for providing me immediate and exceptional care. I am feeling better today, and I look forward to rejoining my Hershey Bears teammates soon.”
This is the second scary knockout we’ve seen in the AHL this season after Colby Cave of the Bakersfield Condors KO’d Martin Pospisil of the Stockton Heat back in October.
Wishing all the best for Kessy moving forward.
