KC Ice Center

Bob Klem

Chris Mentzel

Chet Neumann, one of the nicest guys on the planet, died peacefully and surrounded by his family on Sunday February 2nd. Chet was 74 years old. 

Chet, a transplanted Canadian, somehow found his way to Kansas City and of course, signed up for an adult hockey league. He was a Montreal Canadiens fan and enjoyed going back to Canada (with his own team) to compete in tournaments. 

He retired several years ago and along with his wife, Gudrun, was living a wonderful life in Kansas City. They spent time with their children and grandchildren. And he was playing in the KCIC adult hockey league multiple times a week.

Three years ago, during the 3rd period of his team’s game, Chet skated in with the puck and took a shot on net, something he’s done hundreds of times before. After he took the shot he was off balance and fell awkwardly backwards. His head struck the ice. He laid motionless, unable to get back up. 

The on-ice officials blew their whistles and skated over to him to make sure he was okay. But he wasn’t. 

In a one-in-a-million type of accident, Chet was conscious but couldn’t move. He said he felt like he was “frozen”. The 911 call quickly went out and minutes later the paramedics arrived and put him on a stretcher and loaded him into an ambulance. 

This injury wasn’t the usual kind that Chet’s experienced as a hockey player, it was something different. After this moment, his life would never be the same. And neither would his family. 

Chet would go from leading a very active life, to becoming dependent for everything that he used to take for granted. Reading the newspaper, typing on a computer, driving to the grocery store or just taking the dog for a walk.  

It’s difficult to comprehend why some things happen. Certainly, this was one of those times. Without trying to be overly philosophical, it’s hard to understand this kind of injury, to this player. The saying that sometimes bad things happen to good people, was never a truer statement. Chet was the best guy in the whole world. Everybody loved him.

His wife Gudrun was by his side. Not only was Chet very upbeat after this accident, I never saw him without a smile on his face. Part of that had to do with Gudrun. She was his constant companion and care giver, night and day, 24-7. 

She never left his side. She took her weddings vows to heart, when she repeated the words; “I promise to love and honor him, during good times and bad, in sickness and in health”! She made sure that Chet was always as comfortable as he could be and never stopped trying to make his life better. What an amazing woman.

This story has no happy ending for those of us who are still here. We lost a great friend and a teammate. 

However, our buddy Chet is in a much better place! He was a prisoner in his body for the last three years. I envision Chet skating alongside his heros on whatever is Heaven’s version of the Montreal Forum. 

A thank you – to all the players at KCIC, who donated money to Chet every session. While the money was important and helped him with his quality of life, what really impressed him the most, was that the hockey community remembered him and kept him in their thoughts and prayers. We’re going to miss him a lot, but we are comforted that he’s no longer in pain.

Through it all, Chet was an inspiration to those of us who knew him after his accident. 

Day after day, he showed us how he dealt with adversity, of the worst kind. He handled his situation with grace and dignity, and a can do attitude that was a testament to his faith and his family.