A terrible moment in our hockey. The injured defender managed to get to the bench, where doctors took him away.
A tragedy almost occurred in Russian hockey. An awkward skate movement could be fatal for a young player. Now the guy’s fate is in the hands of doctors.
But, it would seem, nothing foreshadowed trouble.
Caught his neck in the fall
The accident occurred in the All-Russian Hockey League (VHL) match between Bars Kazan and Metallurg Novokuznetsk. The second period was underway, with less than ten minutes left until the end. The team from the Kemerovo region led with a score of 1:0.
The Barça hockey players were in the attack. Trying to pass through several opponents, Kazan forward Ravil Yakupov fell and raised his leg high. Behind him at that moment was Kuznya defender Vitaly Lyulko. While falling, Yakupov caught his opponent’s neck with his skate.
A second later, Lyulko threw off his leggings and grabbed his throat. The guy managed to get to the substitutes’ bench on his own, where doctors rushed to him. While Vitaly was being treated, arena workers were removing blood from the ice, and the spectators were shocked by what they saw.
The injured hockey player, despite the terrible injury, was conscious. They treated his wound and bandaged him, then put him on a gurney and took him to an ambulance. Then he was taken to one of the Kazan hospitals. The stands saw off Lyulko with applause.
The worst was avoided
A few minutes later the match continued. The teams exchanged goals, and Metallurg was as close as possible to winning in regulation time, but Bars managed to equalize three seconds before the end of the game. Overtime did not reveal the best, and in the shootout, Kuznya was a little more fortunate.
But Novokuznetsk had little joy. Fans on social networks asked the same question: “What’s wrong with Lyulko?” Fortunately, the worst was avoided.
— Everything is fine, the artery is not affected, the vessel has been sutured. Vitaly remains in Kazan. We don’t know yet how long he will stay here. The worst thing, thank God, is behind us,” said Metallurg head coach Valery Belov, as quoted by the club’s official website.
English tragedy fresh in memory
Vitaly Lyulko is a native of Penza and a graduate of the local Diesel. At his home club, he went through the ranks from the sports school to the main team. For Diesel, Lyulko played 245 matches in the VHL and scored six goals.
The new season for Vitaly began for the first time away from home – in Novokuznetsk Metallurg. The 25-year-old defender played 33 matches for the Kuzbass team and scored a goal against HC Chelny. The hockey player quickly became a first-line player and was loved by fans for his dedication.
Vitaly Lyulko / Photo: © HC “Metallurg”
After the match with Bars, Lyulko went to the hospital, and Metallurg fans will go to bed with a heavy heart. After all, the tragedy in the English Championship is very fresh in the memory – at the end of October, Nottingham Panthers forward Adam Johnson had his throat cut with a skate, and he died in the hospital a few hours later. In the case of Lyulko, fortunately, there were no dire consequences, and there is hope that the guy will return to the ice in the near future.
2023-12-15 20:35:46
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