Remember to Clean Your Equipment and Cover Open Finger Cuts
For all you weekend hockey warriors out there, please learn from Vancouver Canucks minor leaguer Tyler Bouck: not cleaning your equipment could kill you.
Bouck, who has been beset by injuries during his professional career, suffered what could have been a life threatening illness after contracting a viral infection, writes the Vancouver Province. The bacteria, which was lingering in his hockey glove, entered his body through a cut on his finger. "Being stubborn, I thought it was the pain from the shoulder (injury) and I didn't want to be a wimp," Bouck told the Province. "[I thought I'd] just kind of deal with it. "My wife was pretty upset because her mom is a nurse and knew how serious the virus was.
"When the doctor finally came in and told me you can die from it -- or at least be pretty messed up by it -- it really hit home. [The virus] attacks your heart and weakens your valves and can really do some damage."
Bouck had to spend six days in the hospital to fight the virus and is still hooked up to an IV, where he receives antibiotics four times a day.
Many local hockey stores offer a hockey equipment cleaning service.