He was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died of his injuries.
An 11-year-old boy has died in hospital after he was hit in the neck by a puck at ice hockey practice in Canada.
The youngster, who has not yet been named publicly, was struck by the puck while taking part in a session in Saint-Eustache, a suburb north-west of Montreal.
He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after what police described as an ‘unfortunate accident’ during a ‘regular exercise’.
But officers confirmed on Friday that he had succumbed to his injuries.
‘It is with regret that we were informed of the death of a child’, a police spokesman said.
‘We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones.’
An investigation into the incident is still ongoing, which police say will aim to ‘shed light on the causes and circumstances of the death’.
Emergency services were first called to the children’s training session at Complexe Walter-Buswell at around 7pm on Tuesday (midnight UK time).
The injured boy was then transferred to an intensive care unit a hospital in Montreal.
He was said to have been wearing protective equipment, including a neck guard, when he was hit by the puck, according to local media reports.
The Saint-Eustache Minor Hockey Association said its members are all ‘deeply saddened by this tragedy’.
Jean-Philippe Labrèche, the association’s president, told local media outlet Noovoo Info: ‘I salute the solidarity shown by many over the past few days, which have been extremely emotional.
‘Finally, above all, I offer the family and their loved ones my most sincere sympathies.’
Pierre Charron, the mayor of Saint-Eustache, said: ‘It is an unspeakable tragedy which afflicts our community and, more specifically, a Eustace family. We are all in shock.
‘All our energies are focused on the family and loved ones of this young man as well as the entire sports community. We reiterate our support for the family and everyone involved.’
Quebec’s Minister for Sport, Isabelle Charest, said it was a ‘sadness without words’, while Hockey Quebec called the boy’s death a ‘terrible tragedy’.
Saint-Eustache Police Department added: ‘All our thoughts are with the family, loved ones, teammates and the Eustace sporting community.’
It comes after the high profile death of Adam Johnson on the ice hockey rink during a game between Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers earlier this year.
The 29-year-old suffered a fatal neck injury when he was slashed by an opponent’s skate at the Utilita Arena on October 28.
Just weeks later, a 19-year-old Norwegian ice hockey star also had his chest sliced open by a skate.
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