By Hockey Saskatchewan

HUDSON BAY, Sask. – Mere months before Kaiden Dyck stepped out on the ice last season, he didn’t know if he would ever play hockey again.

The then-16-year-old had bought a dirt bike and was riding with friends in the summer of 2024. While getting comfortable with the new machine, Dyck decided to attempt a jump, something he had done for years.

“July 8th was a day that I'd always remember … After leaving the ramp and I was in the air, I squeezed the throttle, probably a little bit harder than I should have, and went over the handlebars. My head and shoulder ended up contacting the ground first. Thankfully, I was wearing a helmet,” Dyck said.

“Originally thought I had broke my wrist from the pain that I was in … I got to the [Hudson Bay] hospital and they did some X-rays on my arm, neck, and upper back area. The doctor that was on call that night had seen a few chips or cracks in my C6 and C7 vertebrae.”

While getting to an urgent CT scan, medical staff were surprised, according to Dyck.

“When I walked into Saskatoon hospital, everyone's like, ‘Oh, you're walking.’ And I was like, ‘Uh, like am I not supposed to be?’ And they were all like, ‘Well, you broke your neck, so sometimes people can't,’” Dyck recalled.

The reality set in when a spinal orthopedic surgeon told him they did not know if he would ever play sports again in the wake of two fractured vertebrae.

“But then he's like, ‘Well, I don't know if you'll ever be able to play hockey again or dirt bike again.’ And I was pretty crushed then. I was like, ‘Wow, my last year of minor hockey [is gone],’” Dyck said. 

Following limited movement and wearing a neck brace, his doctor was pleased with the healing at the 14-week checkup. A physical therapist also provided at-home exercises and gym workouts to rebuild strength and mobility in his neck.

The clearance call from the doctor came in mid-October 2024.

“I just got X-rays in town the day before and [the doctor] said everything's looking good so take it slow. After school at 3:30 p.m., I walked across the gravel road and was back skating, helping my little brother learn how to skate,” Dyck recalled.

“It was it was a surreal feeling from going to not being able to know if I'll be able to ever skate again to just knowing that I'm not going to miss my Grade-12 year. It was … definitely something.”

Assistant coach for the Under-18 PARK Posse team, Derrick Reed, only coached Dyck for one season but witnessed the forward make an immediate impact with the 2024-25 team.

“Because he’s from Hudson Bay and we’re like Kelvington/Porcupine Plain area, everyone knew who he was. And to be honest, most players didn’t like him because they always played against him, but within probably one or two practices he had a relationship with everybody,” Reed said.

“[Dyck] plays hard, but he’s probably one of the best teammates I’ve ever coached …  and he literally made everybody a better player and feel comfortable,” Reed said.

Reed described Dyck as a real leader on and off the ice.

“There were some role players that we needed on our team and [Dyck] wasn’t shy about talking to us coaches and saying maybe it was a younger guy that he thought should fit into a bigger role. And we did. And every time we listened to him, it actually seemed to work out very well,” Reed said.

“[Dyck] checked all the boxes … Just very respectful and he likes to help other people, like other players and linesmen. He’s just going to be a really good coach one day. I have a feeling. He would do everything he could to help anybody else.”

Dyck’s resilience carried him through a championship-winning season with the PARK Posse in Saskatchewan’s North East Minor Hockey League.

“PARK was probably Hudson Bay's biggest rival. So, it was definitely a little weird and I hated playing against them, but when we weren't playing hockey, we were always staying in touch,” Dyck said.

“So, I went and played for the PARK Posse, and it was it was an amazing season. I had so much fun. I gained so many new friendships, the coaches were awesome. The managers, everyone around that team was amazing.”

Reflecting on the 2024 dirt biking crash and the journey back to the ice, Dyck said it’s shaped his outlook on life.

“The more I think about the injury, the more I realize what my physical limitations could have been. I could have been in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, not being able to walk,” Dyck said.

“But I appreciate the fact that I was I'm still able to play hockey. Just being able to go back to my normal life last year was something that I'm going to cherish forever, and I just want to encourage others to love the game of hockey the way that I do.”

While his minor hockey chapter has closed, another opportunity opened in his hometown. This season, the 18-year-old put on a Hudson Bay Hunters jersey in senior hockey action, including the 2025-26 SGI CANADA Provincial Playoffs.

“Playing senior hockey was always a dream of mine, especially for the Hunters. When I was home on the weekends … I would try and go and support the team every single game. The Wally Dawyduk Arena has a special place in my heart. The place is beautiful to me,” Dyck said.

“This season, putting on the jersey for the first time, walking to the ice surface with the boys, and getting ready for my first game was a surreal feeling. I don't think I've ever had a bigger smile on my face … and it was something I will cherish forever.”

For Dyck, hockey has always been more than a game; it’s a connection to home and community which were integral to his recovery.

“I had people reaching out to me all summer when I was sitting at home [recovering] … Hudson Bay is a small community, but it's definitely a place that when someone's going through an injury like that or a life-altering injury, Hudson Bay is a place people would want to live,” Dyck said.

“Just having all the support from my family, my friends, and community members definitely … gave me a lot of things to look forward to in life.”

From his injury to a living out a senior hockey dream, Dyck’s triumph is a testament to resiliency, community, and the heart of Saskatchewan hockey.