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Concussion claims hockey career of Bruins’ Chekay

A potentially great power forward for the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins has had to curtail his hockey career with the Bruins due to concussions.
Chekay
Bruins forward Matthew Cheka carries the puck in the SJHL Canalta Cup final last spring against the Nipawin Hawks in Nipawin. File photo

A potentially great power forward for the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins has had to curtail his hockey career with the Bruins due to concussions.

Matthew Chekay, 19, suffered a concussion in the first game of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season against the Melville Millionaires Sept. 14 and the Bruins announced the retirement of Chekay this week.

“It’s not an easy decision but after careful consideration, I’ve decided it is in my long term best interest to move on from contact hockey,” said Chekay in a statement released by the Bruins.

Chekay made the Bruins out of training camp last year and worked his way to a third and fourth line role with occasional jumps to the top two lines due to suspensions and injuries. He fought more last year than he ever did and sustained an injury with a hit in Weyburn last season.

Chekay scored seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 37 games for the Bruins in the regular season last year, and added two assists in 13 playoff games.

He joined the Bruins after a three-year stint with the Regina Pat Canadians of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, scoring 27 goals and 47 assists over 124 games in the regular season and participating in the 2015 Telus Cup national midget championship.

“Matthew has worked very hard at becoming the player he is today, and it seems unfair that it be taken away from him like this. That being said, ‘Cheks’ has an incredibly bright future ahead of him away from the ice and this decision is clearly the right one for his long-term health,” said Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood in the release.