Brittanie Nichole Cecil (March 20, 1988 – March 18, 2002) was a hockey fan who died from injuries suffered when a puck was deflected into the stands and struck her in the left temple at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 16, 2002. It was the first fan fatality in the NHL's history.
A native of West Alexandria, Ohio, a small farming suburb of Dayton, Brittanie was an avid sports fan and soccer player, competing in a state tournament with...
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Brittanie Nichole Cecil (March 20, 1988 – March 18, 2002) was a hockey fan who died from injuries suffered when a puck was deflected into the stands and struck her in the left temple at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 16, 2002. It was the first fan fatality in the NHL's history.
A native of West Alexandria, Ohio, a small farming suburb of Dayton, Brittanie was an avid sports fan and soccer player, competing in a state tournament with her team, the Orange Crush, at eleven years old. Upon qualifying for the state tournament, mayor Carol Lunsford declared the day Orange Crush Day. Brittanie attended Twin Valley South Middle School as a cheerleader, student council member and an honor student.
Brittanie had been watching the Columbus Blue Jackets play the Calgary Flames on March 16, 2002, on tickets received as an early gift from her father for her 14th birthday. A shot by the Blue Jackets' Espen Knutsen was deflected by the Flames' Derek Morris and went over the glass behind...
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