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Coach's inspiring tale in spotlight
Heart attack survivor featured on Hockey Day
Rick Northrop, For the Calgary Herald
Published: Saturday, February 09, 2008Wally Kozak's last memory before he collapsed on the ice was teaching defensive zone coverage to his players.
He woke up days later unable to recognize his players and relatives, a victim of a heart attack that almost claimed his life.
Kozak is an assistant coach with the Strathmore Rockies of the Western Women's Hockey League. He collapsed during a Rockies practice in October of 2007 and was resuscitated by his players using a defibrillator.
His last memory is heading toward the benches of the Strathmore Family Centre Arena and collapsing.
"Next thing I know I was in the hospital and it was three or four days later," said Kozak.
The quick actions of several Rockies players saved his life. Kozak's heart had to be shocked twice at the arena and 14 more times in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
After the heart attack, he had surgery to perform a quintuple bypass and was able to return home Nov. 15. Doctors told him only five per cent of people who suffer that kind of heart attack live to talk about it.
He suffered some memory loss, but his recovery is going well.
"I went shopping with my wife and I remember not knowing what a twoonie was," said Kozak.
He spends half an hour on the treadmill every night and hopes to be back at work by March 1.
Kozak has been a coach with the Rockies for the past two years. In 2002, he was named head scout and manager of player development for the Canadian national women's hockey team.
He said he's anxious to get behind the bench.
"It's like therapy, you're back in the game and you're distracted by the game going along normally," he said.
CBC got wind of Kozak's tale and will air a feature on him today at 11:20 MT on all stations as part of Hockey Day in Canada celebrations.
Some of the quick thinking lifesavers were interviewed after the game and re-enacted the resuscitation for cameras.
"It really gives the girls' hockey some attention," said Kozak, who was miked up for the game.
Kozak wasn't bothered by the re-enactment of that fateful day. But he's impressed with the actions of his players.
"It's something you wouldn't want anybody to witness or go through," said Kozak.
The CBC will also broadcast a feature on Jared Aulin, the former NHL player who joined the Calgary Dinos this season.
The three-minute feature produced by Cam Macintosh was shot during a recent Dinos overtime win versus the University of Alberta Golden Bears and will air at 12:17 MT.
