It can happen while standing in line at the snack bar during a Peewee game or sitting on the bench during a late-night adult Rec league.

Sudden cardiac arrest doesn’t happen often at an ice rink, but when it does, the ability to act and react quickly can mean the difference between life and death.

One of the most effective tools on the market is the automated external defibrillator, or AED for short. When a person goes into cardiac arrest, the electrical activity in the heart is thrown into chaos. The AED is designed to shock it back into proper working order. With easy instructions, it tells the rescuer exactly what to do, one step at a time, providing life-saving support until trained medical personnel can arrive. 

“The single most important determinant for survival is the time from collapse to the application of an AED,” said Dr. Michael Stuart, USA Hockey’s chief medical officer. “Shock within one minute of collapse raises the survival rate to 90 percent and within three minutes increases the chance of survival to 70 percent. 

“Make sure you have an AED in your rink, know where it is located and learn how to use it.”

Even before New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation requiring all youth sports programs to have an AED on hand, New York State Amateur Hockey Association was already working on a plan to get more AEDs to rinks around the state.

NYSAHA secretary Linda Groff reached out to rinks around the state with an offer to send new AEDs and pads to any rink that needed one. To date, Groff has receive eight applications from interested rinks. To date, Groff said that 30 of the 42 available AEDs have been spoken for.

The program will continue, she said, until all the AEDs have found a new home. 

In addition, NYSAHA President Eric Guzdek announced that there will be an AED on site at each sheet of ice that will host N.Y. state tournament games this March. 

The legislation, which is endorsed by Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac episode during an NFL game last January, requires camps and youth sports programs with five or more teams participating to establish an AED implementation plan that includes having an AED on hand and ensures there is at least one qualified adult trained in the operation of an AED.

“By requiring camps and youth sports programs to establish an AED implementation plan, kids will be safer, and teams will be prepared,” Governor Hochul said. “I want every parent in New York to know [that] we’re doing everything we can to keep your kids safe.”

NYSAHA has reached out to the governor’s office seeking more clarification on how the plan will be implemented and enforced and is ready to work with rinks around the state to create a safe environment for every player, coach, official and spectator.