Police in Brantford, Ont., are looking into the circumstances that led to the death of a young Whitby hockey player.
Don Sanderson, a defenceman for the Whitby Dunlops, hit his unprotected head on the ice after getting into a fight with a rival from the Brantford Blast hockey team.
He was wearing a helmet during the Ontario Hockey Association game but it got knocked off during the fight. Sanderson slipped into a coma after hitting his head. He died in a Hamilton hospital Friday.
Police say they will work with the coroner as part of their investigation into the 21-year-old's death.
"An investigation such as this, at the direction of the coroner, is standard practice and procedure," Brantford authorities said in statement.
Meanwhile, friends and family of the York University student, gathered at the Wagg funeral home in the man's hometown of Port Perry for the visitation. Many of Sanderson's former teammates and coaches were also present.
"He was a tremendous kid," said Raymon Lee, general manager of the Napanee Raiders where Sanderson once played. "He always put the team and his teammates first, that was the first that that he was concerned about."
Sanderson's funeral will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Port Perry.
With a report from CTV Toronto's James MacDonald
