An 18-year-old hockey player from Springfield who was known both on and off the ice for his generous spirit died Monday following surgery for an apparent head injury, his club team said.
Nick Bond, who played many years for the Wissahickon Hockey Club in Philadelphia, collapsed Sunday after leaving the ice following a game in the morning, the club said in a statement on their website.
"He was a fiery and skilled competitor who believed that success on and off the ice was built on teamwork and friendship," Kevin Hamel, president of the club, said. "He was, without question, the epitome of what we want most in our children."
Bond was taken to Einstein Hospital by EMS after collapsing. He underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, Hamel said. He died Monday afternoon.
His death is the second hockey-related fatality in less than a year in the Philadelphia region.
Last April, a Haverford Township police officer died after suffering an injury during a game. Officer William Albertus, 39, died at a nearby hospital after the April 10 game between local police and firefighters.
Hamel said funeral arrangements for Bond and ways to lend his family support will be forthcoming.
