Fellow Connecticut natives Knight, Pacioretty honor Balkind's memory

Before the Florida Panthers played the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, two players from the same home state as Teddy Balkind, a junior varsity hockey player who sustained a fatal neck injury during a game earlier this month, came together to honor his memory.

Panthers goalie Spencer Knight and Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty took a pregame photo holding their teams' jerseys, except with No. 5 and "Balkind" on the nameplate.

The Golden Knights shared the photo on social media with a caption that in part read "Bigger than hockey."
Pacioretty is from New Canaan, Connecticut, the same town where Balkind attended St. Luke's School. Knight is from nearby Stamford. Both took the time to remember Balkind, who died at 16 after his neck was cut by another player's skate blade in a Jan. 6 game.