DENVER – John Hayden heard the tragic news from his mother, Diana, shortly after the Buffalo Sabres skated off the KeyBank Center ice late on the night of Jan. 6.
Teddy Balkind, a 16-year-old sophomore at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, Conn., died that evening from a neck injury sustained during a junior varsity game at Hayden’s alma mater, Brunswick School, in the Sabres winger’s hometown of Greenwich, Conn.
“We’re really looking forward to what he’s going to do for our organization, and we have others,” GM Kevyn Adams said, referring to the several talented young players in the Sabres’ pipeline.
“It’s a tragedy,” Hayden told The Buffalo News. “Heartbreaking for everyone involved. The community is gutted. Really just praying for everyone involved.”
Hayden, amid his first season as a winger with the Sabres, spent two years at Brunswick School from 2009-11. The 26-year-old quickly relayed the news to teammate and fellow Connecticut native Tage Thompson, who grew up in nearby Orange, attended UConn and makes his offseason home in Milford.
In the latest show of support for the Balkind family and the hockey community in Connecticut, Hayden asked Cole Burkhalter, the Sabres’ director of team operations, if it was possible to get Balkind’s last name and No. 5 on the back of a Buffalo jersey.
"Honestly, my first reaction is she'll prove that she will be a GM in the NHL someday as well," said former NU women's hockey coach Margot Page of Émilie Castonguay.
When the lettering was sewn on, Hayden and Thompson held the jersey up while their Sabres teammates posed for a photo in the team’s weight room inside KeyBank Center.
“My first reaction was shock,” said Thompson, 24, “It’s a crazy accident. I don’t think anyone ever expects something like that to ever happen, but the sad reality is that it does happen sometimes. … It hits a little harder. (Hayden and I) both played in Brunswick, in that building, in that area. It’s really sad. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, and everyone affected by it.”
Balkin was playing defense for St. Luke’s School on the same night Hayden and Thompson faced off against the San Jose Sharks when his neck was cut by an opponent’s skate during an on-ice collision at Hartong Rink in Brunswick. Balkin was rushed to a local hospital, where he died from the injury.
The Boston Bruins held a moment of silence and their captain, Patrice Bergeron, hung a jersey with Balkind’s No. 5 behind the team’s bench prior to a game at TD Garden. Athletes both young and old, amateur and professional, posted photos on social media of hockey sticks next to the front door of their homes.
The New York Rangers wore Balkind’s name and No. 5 on the back of their jerseys while warming up for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Las Vegas Golden Knights winger Max Pacioretty, a native of Teddy’s hometown, and Florida Panthers goalie Spencer Knight, who hails from Darien, Conn., made a similar gesture, having Balkind and No. 5 sewn on their jerseys and posing for a photo together.
On a night when they had every reason to fall victim to their latest adversity, the Sabres outworked the Arizona Coyotes for much of the game and received 27 saves from Anderson in a 3-1 win.
Carolina Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen memorialized Balkind by writing “Teddy” on the blade of his stick during a game. The expressions of grief and disbelief spanned North America, as there were moments of silence held ahead of games at numerous levels of hockey.
“It speaks a lot about hockey and the character that’s involved in the game,” Thompson said. “Obviously, it’s a very competitive sport and everyone wants to win and at the end of the day, when things like this happen, you see the community come together. … We’re all connected by the game of hockey. I think that’s great that when something like this happens, everyone shows support.”
Shortly after the tragedy, Hayden’s former coach and current leader of the Brunswick hockey program, Mike Kennedy, organized a video call with his current players – all of whom were shaken by what unfolded on the ice Jan. 6 – and alumni to grieve together, share stories and talk about the importance of the sport in their corner of the country.
Hayden participated, and with help of his Sabres teammates, found his own way to offer additional support from afar, organizing the photo opportunity to honor Balkind.
“It’s an unspeakable tragedy, but one of those things you want to do anything you can to bring a little bit of peace and love,” said Hayden. “It was nice to get the whole Brunswick community together, telling stories, keeping things light and talking about the impact of what happened. I wanted to do something to show support.”
