A defenseman in an OHL game had to be stretchered off the ice as the game came to a halt when he was the victim of a vicious hit into the boards A tense silence enveloped the Dort Financial Center on Friday night, overriding <a href='https://chl.ca/ohl/video/ohl-highlights-guelph-storm-flint-firebirds-jan-10-2025/#:~:text=Guelph%20Storm%20edged%20out%20the,power%2Dplay%20and%20shorthanded%20goals.' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>the hot contest between the Flint Firebirds and Guelph Storm</a>. The game stopped in the middle of the second period after a Guelph defenseman fell lifeless on the ice after a nasty hit into the boards. <h3> Noah Jenken gets stretchered off</h3> In came the emergency people, and Noah Jenken was <a href='https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/birds-charge-back-but-come-up-short-against-guelph-6-4/n-6180331' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>stretchered off eventually with a serious head injury</a> and taken to a nearby hospital; it left the fans shaken and the players visibly rattled. Noah Jenken left the ice on a stretcher after a nasty hit to the head, along the boards, from Clatteburg. Noah is being taken to hospital. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/StingUpdates/status/1877896315352367283'> </a></blockquote></div> <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Storm_City/status/1878086018047324393'> </a></blockquote></div> Yet, despite the grim interruption, the game continued to be a real nail-biter. Flint lost 6-4 to Guelph, but the action on the ice was electric. Among the intensity, one rookie shone bright, giving Firebirds fans a peek at hopefully what's to come. Making his debut with Flint, Leafs prospect Sam McCue wasted no time getting into the scoresheet. The 19-year-old forward was recently acquired from the Owen Sound Attack and potted two points in his first game in a Firebirds jersey. Although the score did not go in his team's favor, the performance of McCue lit up the arena and gave them plenty to be excited about. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/brigstew86/status/1877922283186008148'> </a></blockquote></div> McCue was a seventh-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024 and is no stranger to pressure. A winger himself, he played in 136 games through his third OHL season, notching 41 goals and 28 assists. The management of Flint was exceedingly high on him upon acquiring his rights, touting his offensive skillset and grit in their official statement. The outcome of the game, the outright loss, was just another addition to the loss column, but <a href='https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/player/sam-mccue-8485107' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>McCue</a> represents a new beginning in the place, filled with potency and promise. But tonight was also a stark reminder of the physical price and hardiness it takes for hockey players to be in the game.