5-year-old San Antonio Rampage fan hit by puck in head, rushed to ER, still returns to game "He got the staples and wanted to go back to the game"

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While other San Antonio kids on Easter were being hit by cascarones, a little Rampage fan took a blow from a hockey puck at the Rampage game on Sunday, had to be rushed to the emergency room for stitches and still made it back to the ice to see the team beat the Texas Stars in overtime, 3-2.

David Evans, father of 5-year-old James Evans, said his son has been going to Rampage games since he was six weeks old. The ticket season-holding family usually gets to the AT&T Center early, like they did on Easter, so James could fist-bump the players through the protective glass. It was business as usual for the tot until his father said a Stars player hit a puck that flew over the wall and accidentally hit James in the head.

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“He got his first professional puck to the head,” his father quipped.

James Evans, 5, back at the AT&T Center on March 27, 2016 right after receiving stitches following a hit by a hockey puck to the head. James Evans, 5, back at the AT&T Center on March 27, 2016 right after receiving stitches following a hit by a hockey puck to the head. Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close 5-year-old San Antonio Rampage fan hit by puck in head, rushed to ER, still returns to game 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

AT&T Center paramedics advised the Evans that James’ cuts would require stitches, so they took him to Children's Hospital of San Antonio, where he was only worried about one thing.

“He told the doctor ‘Can you hurry so I can go back to the game,” David Evans said.

The moment inspired Evans to make light of the situation with a meme using a photo of James on a stretcher, surrounded by pucks, captioned: “I don’t always take a puck to the head and get 3 staples…but when I do I tell the doctor to hurry so I can get back to see the Rampage win.”

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The possibility of missing his team’s game seemed to bother James more than the pain, his father said. He promised the tough little guy they would try making it back to the arena if time permitted.

“He got the staples and wanted to go back to the game,” James’ dad said. They pulled up to the AT&T Center with two minutes left of play to go and were able to watch the final 30 seconds, which lead into an overtime victory for the Rampage.

“He went right back to the glass – no fear, he’s afraid of very few things,” David Evans said. “He says they won for him.”

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His resilience is being applauded online through the meme his dad made.

“A lot of people love that he’s a really tough kid,” David Evans said. “He’s all about sports and pain doesn’t slow him down.”

The Evans said they don’t want their son’s accident to keep parents from taking their children to Rampage games.

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“Things like that happen, it’s nothing you can prevent. He could’ve bumped his head on the slide with no paramedics around,” the father said. “The difference is the AT&T staff was there and all over it.”

As for his blood-stained clothes, James’ is keeping them as a token of toughness.

“He said ‘it’s a hockey shirt, it needs blood on it,’” his dad added.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye