On January 18th, 2020 one of our Midget A1 players, Nathan Boatter, suffered a terrible hit from behind and was launched headfirst into the boards. Unable to protect himself he suffered a devastating injury breaking his C1 & C2 vertebrae. The below is a heartfelt thank you from his family for all of the love and support they've received.

Ridge Meadows Minor Hockey Families,

On behalf of our family we would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support they have shown for Nathan and our family. Nathan has accepted the injury, he has a positive attitude and is determined to get through it. The support from the players, the coaches, his teammates, the parents and Ridge Meadows Minor Hockey Association has shown Nathan that he has so many people that care about him. Our family is so proud to be a part of this hockey family.  Thank you to our Ridge Meadows and Chilliwack Midget A1 teams for honoring Nathan before their game. Thank you for the helmet stickers that will be worn by players throughout our community. We are so fortunate to have great people volunteering their time throughout the association. Mike Legg (Coach) and Jeff Moffat did an excellent job responding on ice to Nathan’s injury, we are forever thankful for this. Our coaching staff  Mike Legg, Alex Smith, and Jeff McBride were with Nathan by his side before and after surgery. Laura Shelton (Manager) has been communicating with my wife and I on a daily basis.  As a family we do not have any hard feelings towards this situation, the player who hit Nathan is not a malicious player, the play was reckless but not with intent. Nathan has spoken to the player and has no hard feelings. We have spoken with the mother. This is a good teaching moment for all players to remember to play hard, respect the stop sign, and respect your opponent. Thank you for the wonderful picture of support sent from our Peewee A1 team. It is so humbling to see the boys come over to visit Nathan. The friendships, and the hockey memories is truly what the game is all about. We especially appreciate the cookies, rice krispies and all the sweets the families have shared with Nathan.

Sincerely,

The Boatter Family (Brent, Sanya, Samantha, Nathan and Adam)