A 19-year-old Kamloops Blazers forward has been paralyzed in a snowboarding accident.
According to a GoFundMe page set up Sunday (Jan. 24), Kyrell Sopotyk was left with life-changing injuries following a weekend incident.
The page, however, does not make clear where the Aberdeen, Sask. product was when the injury took place.
“We’re raising this money to help support any possible renovations, healthcare costs and any other supports [the Sopotyk family] may require,” the post reads.
The Kamloops Blazers also issued a statement Sunday saying the club was "devastated" by the news of Sopotyk's 'life-altering' injury.
"He is a tremendous young man and an exemplary representative of our hockey club," the team said.
"The Blazer family is behind Kyrell and the Sopotyks. At this time, we will respect the privacy of his family."
As of 6:this publication (Jan. 25), the GoFundMe had nearly doubled its $50,000 goal and is closing in on $100,000.
Sopotyk tallied 27 points for the Blazers in the 2019-20 Western Hockey League season that was cut short in March due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
