A family in British Columbia has been inundated with positive messages after a 22-year-old hockey player suddenly died on the ice.
Noah Trulsen passed away on Oct. 3 during an adult recreational league game in Langley, B.C. Trulsen was heading to the bench for a change when he fell and hit his head on the boards.
Trulsen’s family told CTV Vancouver they received the call at 11 p.m. that night and immediately rushed to the rink.
"It's a gut-wrenching, heart-ripping-out-of-your-chest feeling,” Loraine Trulsen, Noah’s mother, said about the drive to the arena. “I think we just knew that it was really not good."
Since the accident, Trulsen’s family has been flooded with flowers and messages of condolence.
"It's amazing,” said Rick Trulsen, Noah’s father. “You read each one (and) it makes you cry, but you've got to read them because it just shows you how many people Noah touched."
On the ice, players referred to Noah as the “gentle giant,” because of his demeanor and the fact he stood six-feet-six-inches tall.
Noah’s brother Matt Trulsen wore Noah’s jersey during warm ups during a game Friday night.
"He was just so proud of me,” Matt said. “I know yesterday I did him proud to play in that game. There's no way that I wasn't playing. That was all for him."
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Ben Miljure
