Eric Wellwood Sliced Tendon(s) and Artery in His Leg with Skate
Photo: Dave Isaac
Top three fears of a hockey player:
1) Playing for Paul Holmgren.
2) Going head-first into the boards.
3) Skate blades.
Speedy Flyers-Phantoms forward Eric Wellwood has now experienced two of them. He will be slowed for quite some time after taking a skate to the back of the calf (one of the few areas not covered by padding in hockey) this weekend. No video of the incident exists… but this picture, from teammate Danny Syvret, tells the story:
As of Monday morning, Wellwood was doing well. The first surgery went well and he was leaving the Bridgeport-area hospital for a Philadelphia-area hospital, where he would undergo at least one more surgery.
The first surgery repaired vascular damage and closed the wound. The second surgery would be more structural to repair the tendon that could clearly be seen severed as well as ligament damage and damage reportedly done to the Achilles.
Wellwood was reportedly close to being in serious danger from the blood loss, having cut the artery. Trainer Greg Lowden’s quick actions may have made the difference. The artery being further from Wellwood’s heart also gave him more time.
Yikes. Wellwood apparently cut himself with his own skate.
Wellwood is a seriously fast skater (perhaps his only strength…), and that Achilles injury won’t do him any favors. But the scary part here was the artery being cut. Thankfully, it seems like quick work from the trainer kept Wellwood from, you know, dying.
Scary stuff.
