Boy, 11, dies after being hit by an ice hockey puck in the neck

An 11-year-old boy has died in the Canadian province of Quebec after he was struck in the neck with a puck during ice hockey practice.

The boy, whose name has not been released, was hit on Tuesday in Saint-Eustache, a suburb northwest of Montreal.

At the time, police said the boy was injured in an "unfortunate accident".

He died days later after the hit left him in critical condition.

Police confirmed the boy's death in a news release on Friday morning.

"This morning, we were saddened to learn of the child's death. We offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones," the police said.

They added that an investigation has been opened to shed light on the circumstances around the death.

Police and paramedics were initially called to the Complexe Walter-Buswell at around 19:00 local time (midnight GMT) on Tuesday, where the child was at hockey practice with his team.

He was then transferred to an intensive care unit at a Montreal hospital, police said.

The Canadian Press reported that the boy had been wearing protective equipment when he was injured, including a neck guard.

In a statement shortly after the incident, the Saint-Eustache minor hockey association said the community is saddened by the young player's injury.

"We are working with the town to offer the necessary support to members who witnessed the accident," the association told local Quebec news outlet Noovo Info. "We are aware that the emotional impact is immense."

Hockey Quebec called the boy's death a "terrible tragedy", while Quebec's Minister for Sport, Isabelle Charest, said it was a "sadness without words".

The boy's death follows another recent high-profile fatal hockey injury.

Adam Johnson died after his neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in the UK on 28 October. His team, the Nottingham Panthers, initially called the death "a freak accident".

Police later arrested a man in connection to Johnson's death on suspicion of manslaughter.

After his death, the English Ice Hockey Association began requiring that all their players wear neck guards as of next year.