It was so innocuous, the play that ended Andrew Hayes' hockey career.
As a goaltender he had covered the puck in his crease a thousands of times before. And had fended off countless players crashing his domain. Three years in the Western Hockey League with the Brandon Wheat Kings — playing in the 2010 Memorial Cup — and one season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles had tested his mettle.
During a game in February 2014, Hayes was in net for the University of Regina Cougars. He was covering a puck in his crease when someone's knee in the ensuing scrum caught the side of his head.
Former goalie Andrew Hayes begins life after hockey from the grounds up
