Taking to The Players Tribune in an article published Thursday, Golden Knights defenceman Shea Theodore revealed that he has been battling testicular cancer over the offseason. He has since made a full recovery.
He initially learned of the diagnosis after a failed drug test at the IIHF World Championship in May. Theodore was playing with Team Canada in their run resulting in a silver-medal, and shortly after their loss in the final to Finland, he describes being pulled aside in the locker room.
"I was walking to the locker room right after we got our silver medals, and this guy in a suit grabbed me and said, ‘Hey, Shea, please come with me.’
You always know what that means. Random drug test. It’s no big deal, usually — but I was kind of surprised, because I had already taken one a few games before. Two in one tournament is pretty unusual. The guy walked me back into this little room, and there were four other guys in suits sitting there, waiting for me. That’s when I thought, O.K. that’s weird.
Then they told me the news."
Theodore goes on to write about how grateful he was to have caught the cancer in its early stages, and his hope that his experience can help others raise awareness to early detection. While this isn’t something that young men typically talk about, it can literally save lives.
We’re glad Theodore is okay after his experience, and that he’s using it to advocate for a good cause.
