Athlete suffers heart scare> Bangor hockey player Gordon to visit specialist Friday

Bangor High School sophomore hockey standout Jared Gordon’s status for the season is on hold due to a congenital heart problem.

An ailment called WPW was discovered at a Presque Isle hospital after Gordon was hit during an exhibition game against John Bapst at a tourney on Friday night.

Gordon, who is a center and was one of the leading scorers on last year’s team as a freshman, will see heart specialist Dr. Angela Gilladoga on Friday in Bangor.

He was cleared to skate by Gilladoga on Monday but was told to avoid any high-speed or contact drills.

Gordon and his father, Leonard, explained that his heart rate escalated at a high rate for three hours after the hit. He was taken to a local practitioner and then to the Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle.

Jared Gordon said the body check had little to do with the discovery of his ailment.

We were told [by the doctors] that this could have happened while I was just sitting at home, watching TV,” said Jared.

After absorbing the hit and returning to the bench, Gordon came out for his next shift and instantly knew something was wrong.

“My legs were like jelly and I couldn’t see. My vision was blurred. I kept blinking my eyes to try to clear my vision,” explained Gordon. “When I got to the bench, I couldn’t breathe.”

“It was very scary,” said his father.

The younger Gordon said Monday that he feels fine and can’t wait to resume his hockey career.

“We should know something by midday on Friday,” said Leonard Gordon. “We’ll get more clarification and see where we ought to go from here.”