People in St. Stephen, N.B. and Bishop's Falls, N.L. are hoping for the best for Scottie Greene, a young hockey player in critical condition after surgery Thursday.

Greene was one of three members of the St. Stephen Aces junior A hockey team who were injured in a motor vehicle accident just before 5 p.m. Wednesday. Their car left the road, hit a utility pole and rolled. Impairment is not believed to be a factor in the crash.

Greene came to St. Stephen to play hockey this season after being cut by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles after playing for them and the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season. Greene is the first born-and-raised player from Bishop's Falls in central Newfoundland to play in the QMJHL.​

The 18-year-old had surgery to reduce swelling on his brain following the serious vehicle accident just outside the town of St. Stephen.

Messages of support are rolling in on Scottie Greene's Facebook page following a serious accident in New Brunswick on Wednesday. (Scottie Greene/Facebook) According to Greene's former coach Rob Canning, who is close to the Greene family, the surgery was a success, and the young player is resting in an induced coma.

Major impact on team

Greene's team practiced a short time Friday morning, and he was on everyone's minds.

"It has a major impact and it effects every individual differently on our team," said coach Josh Hepditch. "And that's one of the hardest parts. We've got 20 players here that are all thinking of Scottie and they're all handling the situation differently."

Greene was boarding with St. Stephen's mayor, Allan MacEachern.

Scottie Greene, pictured here with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, is in serious condition after surgery on Thursday. (Jenn Barter-Coombs/Facebook) "It's hard. He was at our house. And now he's not," said MacEachern. "And it's even harder with his family at the hospital. We never really had a chance to even meet them before. It's very difficult."

The arena will remain empty this weekend. Two of the team's games have been cancelled while the hockey community waits and hopes for the best.