Bill Aarts refers to it as his own “Miracle on Ice.”
The 81-year-old collapsed on the bench during his senior hockey game in Port Stanley, Ont. on Feb. 19, 2025.
“I got dizzy on the bench trying to get a drink and that’s the last I remember,” said Aarts.
“They [doctors] said the heart stopped and I had a blockage of two arteries. They cut me open, I got a double bypass, and a pacemaker put in. I’m still a little bit sore, but I’m on the road to recovery.”
The incident happened just a few shifts into his game. Everyone jumped into action.
“I was out on the ice playing and heard a bunch of commotion coming on the bench and came over and saw Bill was down on the ground,” said teammate and retired volunteer fire fighter Dave Olver.
“We dragged him out onto the ice, so we had a little bit of room to work on him. I started CPR right away.”
That’s when Parks and Recreation operator Mark Johnson, and arena employee Kennedy Sadler took over. Johnson, a 45-year employee, and Sadler who works as a paramedic both have training on the AED.
“It was a scary moment,” said Johnson.
“Everybody was banging on the glass and said somebody’s down, and we need this,” he pointed at the AED. “We opened it up, took off out there and things started to happen. There was no pulse, so I cut the shirt off in half there, and Kennedy got the pads and everything ready to go, and we were ready to rock.”
Not long after shocking him, Aarts came back.
“It was really scary,” said teammate Charlie Murray.
“Everyone who helped were so professional, and when we saw him start to come around, we were all breathing a sigh of relief.”
Aarts believes there are multiple reasons why it’s a ‘miracle’ he’s alive.
He had just returned from a five-week vacation and was also shoveling snow prior to going to hockey. His wife told him not to go to hockey, and ten minutes into the game he collapsed.
His family believes thar if this had happened anywhere but the rink where there were trained professionals, he wouldn’t be alive.
Olver said “it’s crazy” that he was playing that day, as it’s not the first time he’s had to help in a similar situation.
“Three years ago a team of mine in the over-50 in St. Thomas collapsed on the bench,” said Olver.
“I was able to help in that situation too, and six and a half years ago, I too had a heart attack playing hockey. So it’s really nice to be able to pay my good fortune forward.”
On Monday morning Aarts went to the Port Stanley Arena to see many of his teammates for the first time since the incident.
There were many hugs and handshakes.
They even presented him with a homemade trophy using the battery from the AED which saved his life.
About to turn 82, despite everything that happened, Aarts doesn’t plan on retiring from hockey.
“I’m planning to come back in September,” said Aarts.
“The doctor said, ‘do it’. You’re better off playing hockey, golfing, keeping activities going especially at my age.”
Aarts also hopes to use this incident as a learning tool.
“In the near future our family is looking to do a fundraiser to make awareness of defibs (AED’s) and also maybe to promote or get donations so that every public building in Elgin [County] can have a defibrillator.”
