Lane Hinkley announces retirement from hockey
Charlottetown Islanders associate captain Lane Hinkley announces retirement in an Instagram post after a medical exam revealed a lesion on his brain.
“Friday morning, I was told that my hockey career is over. Too many hits, too many punches, too many concussions that I didn’t properly heal from. The doctor said my MRI showed there is a 25mm by 17mm lesion on my brain, as well as other scars that they couldn’t determine the size of. Currently, I am at risk for CTE and early dementia.”
The 19-year-old defenseman reflected on his time as a hockey player and is thankful for his time on the ice.
“To all those who supported me; thank you. I will never forget my first game in Centre 200, looking up in the crowd and seeing a little boy with a Hinkley jersey on. A big 77 on the back, a big smile on his face. That is one of my proudest moments, and I’ll never forget it,” he said.
He earned every bit of ice-time he received, and he didn’t take any of it for granted.
“Being from a small Cape Breton town, I felt blessed to even skate on the ice of a QMJHL rink. It feels surreal that I was able to play 143 games, and eventually end up as assistant captain with the Islanders. Before I ever played a single one of those games, my cousin Marco told me to appreciate every second of it, because before you know it, it’s gone. He was right. I am grateful for all of it.”
Read the full post on his personal Instagram account here.
Hinkley was drafted in the first round, 16th overall to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the 2020 QMJHL entry draft. He split his four seasons up with the Titan, the Drummondville Voltigeurs, and most recently the Isles.
He played 56 games with the Titan over a season and a half, scoring 12 points. He was then traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs where he would score 10 points in 48 games.
Through the Christmas break of the 2022-23 season, he was traded to the Isles where he would score three points in a total of 39 games with the club. He would be named an associate captain of the Islanders prior to the 2023-24 season.
Head Coach Jim Hulton has high hopes for Hinkley despite the tragic news.
“Lane was an honest player who competed hard every day. He provided good leadership for his teammates and his focus was always on the betterment of the team.” he said. “Lane is highly respected by teammates, coaches and support staff for his straightforward, team first approach. While we are saddened to learn that Lane can no longer risk playing, we are fully confident that he will be successful in any venture that he enters into.”
