Marty Tangredi is a well-known and respected USA Hockey official and instructor with three decades of experience under his belt. But at a high school boys’ game in 2022, his hockey career came to an unexpected halt when two players collided, sending Marty into the boards.
“I thought I was okay,” he said, “but I saw my foot was at an unnatural angle … with my kneecap pointing in a direction it should never go.”
For the first time, Marty blew the whistle to stop play for himself.
His injuries included a dislocated knee, ripped tendons and ligaments, and vascular damage so severe that his trauma team at Yale New Haven said he was at high risk of losing his leg.
Marty began intensive outpatient physical therapy at Gaylord Therapy Services in North Haven only days after surgery. Three times a week, therapists Manny and Kayla worked to manually bend his leg to gradually get his stiff knee to the 120-degree angle required before his next surgery. Though each session brought considerable pain, Marty pressed on, fueled by his determination to wear referee stripes again.
“I missed it a lot,” he said. “But Manny and Kayla never talked about what I couldn’t do, only what we would do to get me back on the rink.”
After a second surgery, Manny and Kayla handed Marty a gift that brought him to tears: a new set of laces to replace the ones emergency crews cut off his skates. A promise written in black marker on the label read, “When you’re ready, we’ll lace up!”
Eleven months after his injury, the 59-year-old received medical clearance to return on ice, an achievement his doctors estimated would take years – if ever – to achieve.
With Kayla at his side, Marty laced up his skates for the first time since his injury and cautiously stepped onto the ice. Within moments, trepidation turned to visible joy.
“It felt great,” he said.
This past fall season, Marty returned to referee youth and high school games and fulfilled the loft goal he set for himself: refereeing the 2024 CIAC hockey championships only two years after his injury.
“I feel strong and healthy. There’s no pain in my leg, just normal bruising from the hockey season,” he laughed.
“It’s been a humbling and emotional journey to go from wondering if I might lose my leg to fully being back to doing what I love.”