The circumstances surrounding the death of a hockey father, who suffered a heart attack after rushing to defend his son from angry spectators, have ignited controversy in Montreal. Guy Letourneau, 46, died of a heart attack while attending his stepson's game Sunday. To the amazement of many, the game resumed less than an hour later.
Mathieu Perron, 15, had just been handed a penalty and was being taunted by parents supporting the opposing team. Perron said his stepfather ran halfway around a Montreal arena to warn him not to get involved in any verbal sparring. He collapsed shortly after that.
"He knows I'm a bit mouthy and he wanted me to concentrate on the game," Perron told Le Journal de Montreal.
"He told me, 'Don't worry about them, I'll take care of them.' Then he started coughing and clutching his heart before he collapsed."
"He was talking to his son to give him some encouragement," said Michel Gaudreau, another parent watching the game. "He was holding his hands, he sat down and then he collapsed."
The game was stopped temporarily and players were sent to their dressing rooms. It resumed after ambulance technicians spent 40 minutes trying to revive Letourneau. He was declared dead in hospital. The decision to keep playing raised the ire of some parents and officials, who say the game should have been rescheduled.
