Connor Kasin took to the ice for a hockey game that was being held to raise money for a charity that helps parents cope with the loss of a child.
Little did the New York teen know his parents would be in that tragic group before the night was out.
The 17-year-old Massapequa High School senior “experienced a sudden medical event” on Nov. 30 and later died at a hospital.
“It is heartbreaking to report that Connor did not survive. His passing is devastating to the Massapequa community, and we offer our deepest condolences to Connor’s family and friends,” a letter from his school to students said, according to cable station Long Island News 12.
We join the rest of the hockey community in mourning the passing of Connor Kasin, a New York high school hockey player. pic.twitter.com/orvIkFBw7C
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 1, 2024
Nassau police said “medics and officers responded to the Town of Oyster Bay Skating Center …for a 17-year-old male who had lost consciousness on the ice during an intermission of a hockey game.”
Police said those in attendance worked to revive Kasin until first responders arrived.
Student William Sander said Kasin was “A good guy.”
“I pray for him and pray for people around him. Honestly, it’s very sad and heartbreaking,” he said.
Kasin was playing in a charity game in memory of Sabrina Navaretta of nearby Syosset, New York, who died last year in a car accident, according to the New York Post.
A foundation in Navaretta’s name raises scholarship money and helps grieving parents whose children have died.
The cause of Kasin’s collapse was not known as late as his Dec. 6 funeral, according to CBS.
“He was an incredible child, an incredible hockey player, and just by today, you can see how wonderful he was. It hits hard when … you see these kids walking around in these jerseys,” Lisa Stella, a family friend, said.
“He taught everyone a lot of things — how to be kind, how to be a good person,” Nicholas Stella, among the teammates wearing their hockey jerseys at the funeral, said.
A New York high school hockey player has tragically died suddenly after suffering a “sudden medical event” in the middle of a game, leaving onlookers horrified.
Connor Kasin was just 17 years old when he died. pic.twitter.com/vOOFLT6c47— TheTexasOne (@TexasRepublic71) December 2, 2024
“Connor was very close with everyone. He was a great person, and it definitely is going to take a toll on the community,” classmate Reilly Cereghino said.
A priest who spoke at the funeral recalled Kasin as a positive force in the world.
“We can look at this young man, Connor, at his life and say, anybody you speak to [said] he walked into a room with kindness, his smile lit up the room,” Rev. Joseph Fitzgerald said.
His mother said the comments of her son’s friends were one of the few things to which she could cling in her grief.
“I always knew he was a great kid, but it’s so great … to hear others say it,” Mary Kasin said.
