A Southern Stampede player clipped by a car during a training run shook the driver's hand then told him to have a good night, before finding out the misadventure had broken his foot.
Stefan Wright (23), from Canada, had been brought to the region to play ice hockey for the Queenstown team and is now considering returning home.
"I'm either going to stay and just hang out in town, or there's a chance I might go back home," he said.
The accident happened in the car park of the Queenstown Ice Arena, just 40 minutes before the Stampede's 7pm game against Dunedin Thunder on Saturday.
Wright recounted how he went for his usual pre-game run with a few team-mates then continued a solo run around the car park.
"I passed the car that ended up hitting me. I don't know if they had been drinking but they swerved to avoid hitting some rocks."
The car clipped his ankle and drove over his foot as it passed him on its way towards the exit, but did not stop.
Two men who were in the car park saw what happened and ran to the car to inform the driver he had hit someone.
In the car were two males.
By this time Wright had managed to stand up and was trying to walk the injury off.
When the males approached him he shook their hands and said, "Safe driving, have a good night and just be a bit more careful".
It was not until he walked into the arena and a team-mate's parent, who was also a doctor, said he needed to get X-rays that he even considered his foot might be broken.
He now faces six weeks with his foot in plaster. By his count, he should have the cast off on August 11, which would leave him free for six games "hopefully".
"I just need to find out what's my best option now."
He is appealing for anyone who saw anything to come forward with information about the station wagon and its occupants. His own recollection is hazy.
It would be helpful to speak to the two men who stopped the car, he said.
