Niagara IceDogs GM on Tucker Tynan's Health: Thursday's On-Ice Medical Treatment 'Saved His Life'

One day after Niagara IceDogs goalie Tucker Tynan needed surgery following a severe cut to his left, the team's GM said that his initial on-ice treatment "saved his life."

Screenshot via Sportsnet Canada

On Thursday night, Niagara IceDogs goalie Tucker Tynan needed emergency surgery after being severely cut in his right leg after a collision in his crease. One day later, IceDogs GM Joey Burke said that the on-ice treatment that Tynan received "saved his life."

"There was a point in time last night where it was an option that he may have died on the ice due to loss of blood," Burke told reporters on Friday.

The incident occurred in a game against the London Knights of the OHL. The league postponed the game following the collision, saying it would be rescheduled "at a later date."

Tynan was tended to on the ice for about 10 minutes by trainers and paramedics before he was put onto a stretcher.

1/3:
Something you never want to see, @OHLIceDogs G Tucker Tynan appears to have been cut by a skate by a London player in the crease. He was quickly attended to by medical staff who stopped the bleeding and got him onto a stretcher.#OHL pic.twitter.com/QrE5ZqqFLq

— Mel Raskin (@SNMelRaskin) December 13, 2019

"Certainly it’s been a pretty traumatic 14 hours for us here in Niagara," Burke said. "We’re all very shaken up and obviously our hearts and thoughts and prayers are with Tucker and his family.”

Hockey, as a whole, has a history of "horrifying incidents."

The 17-year-old Tynan is in his first season in the OHL. He's 11-8-4 with a 3.80 goals-against average through 23 games.