Mike Bossy, four-time Stanley Cup winner and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, shared his thoughts with local Grade 9 students in a discussion on “Safety in Sports and the Workplace”, hosted by K+S Potash Canada, WorkSafe Saskatchewan and the Queen City Kinsmen.

Best remembered as one of the greatest pure scorers in NHL history, Mike Bossy’s hockey career ended at age 30 due to injury. Today, as Vice President of Corporate Sponsorship for the New York Islanders, he is uniquely qualified to provide insight into hockey safety. While the sport has made significant strides in areas like improved equipment and rule changes in an effort to increase safety on the ice, players continue to suffer major injuries at an unacceptable rate. This leads many to believe that it all comes down to the split-second decisions of the players themselves and their personal commitment to safe actions.

That message resonates with event co-speaker Curtis Weber, whose hockey career was also cut short. Unlike Bossy, however, Weber never had the chance to realize his professional hockey dreams, as he was electrocuted in 1999 at age 17, while working in rural Saskatchewan. Curtis lost an arm and a leg when he was injured, and he now works as a Safety Officer for the Prairie North Health Region. He also continues to share his inspirational story with groups across the province in hopes of preventing similar workplace incidents.

Bossy and Weber were joined by a representative from K + S Potash Canada, the presenting sponsor of the Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner & Auction, scheduled for that evening. Bossy and long-time New York Islanders teammate and fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier served as keynote speakers at the charity event, which benefited Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS).