01 December 2023 , 12:08
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Finland ice hockey star Sanni Hakala has been left paralysed from the chest down after a devastating on-ice accident where she crashed into the goalpost.
The 26-year-old was in action and captaining HV71 in a Swedish Women’s Hockey League game against Djurgårdens last Friday. She collided with the post during the fixture with the game consequently being postponed as she was taken off the ice on a stretcher.
Hakala was immediately transported to University Hospital in Linköping, where she was underwent surgery, her side announced. Unfortunately, there will be long-term effects of the accident.
She has been paralysed from the chest down and has reduced function in her arms and hands. “It is still hard to understand what has happened, that the crash into the goal post was as serious as it was, that the consequences have become so big,” Hakala posted on Instagram.
“Not only that I am forced to stop playing hockey, something that has been a big part of my life for many years, but that I may be forced to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.
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“The injury I sustained last Friday after colliding with the goal post has left me paralyzed from the chest down, with reduced function in my arms and hands. That’s the reality I’m trying to land in.”
Hakala added: “I understand that I am now facing a long and hard fight with my body and the toughest game of my life. Now I need to focus all my energy on the rehabilitation so that I can recover as well as possible.
Sanni Hakala was part of the Finland side to win bronze at the 2022 Winter Olympics (Getty Images)“Therefore, me and HV71 will not leave further comments regarding my injury or situation and I ask you all to show consideration and respect for me and my family. This situation obviously sucks, but I’m not scared to take it on. I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but I know it will be f*****g awesome.”
Hakala was previously one of the most promising women’s hockey players in Europe. She worked her way up through the Finnish youth ranks and made her international debut in 2013 for the under-18 side.
The highlights of her career came during the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and Beijing, where she won two bronze medals. She added a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships, as well as further bronzes in 2017 and 2021.
Hakala had cruelly only penned a new contract with HV71 in April to extend her stay with the club into its eighth season. In her statement on social media, she also thanked the club's fans, friends, family and the medical staff for their support.