Horrific Scene as 17-Year-Old Defenseman Gets Stretchered Off After Brutal Injury

The Flint Firebirds did not go quietly into the night in their 6-4 loss to the Guelph Storm Friday at the Dort Financial Center.

Though his team lost, one of the bright spots in the matchup came from newcomer Sam McCue in his debut with one goal and one assist, and the fans wanted more.

The game started well for the Firebirds as they struck early. Jeremy Martin gave Flint a 1-0 lead in the first period, capping off a slick sequence with Karlis Flugins and Kaden Pitre.

Martin slid the puck past Guelph goalie Zachary Jovanovski, igniting the home crowd.

However, things took a dramatic turn after a frightening injury to Guelph defenseman Noah Jenken, who had to be stretchered off the ice.

When play resumed, Max Namestnikov scored a five-on-three power-play goal to tie the score. Guelph dominated the second period, scoring three unanswered goals on their way to a commanding lead of 4-1.

Carter Stevens started things off with a power-play marker, followed by Parker Snelgrove and then Ryan McGuire, as he capitalized on a won faceoff and wild rebound.

And Flint's chances looked dim until McCue sparked life back into the Firebirds. The rookie's wrist shot brought the score to 4-2 before Kaden Pitre made it a one-goal game, banking the puck off Jovanovski's mask.

With three minutes left in the period, Evan Konyen finished a sharp pass from McCue to tie the game at 4-4, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

But Guelph wasn't done. McGuire netted the game-winner late in the third and Quinn Beauchesne sealed the deal with an empty-netter. Flint is now 17-20-2-1, while Guelph improved to 12-22-4-1.

The Firebirds look to bounce back Saturday night against the Windsor Spitfires. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.