Saves for a Cure

It all started when I was 5 years old, when I was diagnosed with Leukemia. Which is a broad term for cancers of the blood cells. It is the most common cancer for children younger than 15. When I was diagnosed it was a very scary time for my entire family, especially when they were told that the chance of my survival was low. I got poked and prodded more times than I can count and spent three and a half years in varying degrees of chemotherapy. Throughout the treatment I lived on and off at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This is where my love for hockey began. My family watched a lot of hockey on TV and cheered for our local team the Calgary Flames. I might not have known the rules of what I was watching at the time, but I knew one thing.

“I want to play hockey”

The dream got bigger when I got a chance to meet a few of the Flames players when they visited the oncology unit. (Seeing these players give back and inspire the community around them, has been a large inspiration in my life as a hockey player. As I always try to involve myself as much as possible in community events to give back like they did for me). It wasn’t long after that I told my parents that I wanted to play hockey, which they supported fully, and told me “When the doctor says you are healthy enough, we will play hockey”. No one in my family had ever played hockey before, we had only ever skated on a pond by our house in the winter. This newfound love and passion drove me through chemo, even at times when I didn’t want to be poked or checked on, they would throw on last night’s hockey highlights to distract me or bribe me with being able to watch the Flames game that night when they were done.

When I got healthy enough to where I didn’t have to be at the hospital full time, we all went down to the pond and learned how to play hockey at night. This was because I didn’t have enough white blood cells (which means I had virtually no immune system), leading to me not being able to be around other people due to the risk of infections. So, my parents would put the headlights on from the car and bring flashlights and make sure that it was safe, so we could all learn how to play hockey together. That pond is where my hockey thought turned into a hockey dream.

Once I was cancer free, I started taking goalie lessons and playing on community teams. This even inspired my dad to get his own set of gear (should have seen my mom’s face when he suited up for the first time), and my brother as well. How my mom handled that much stinky gear in the garage at once I will never know but I love her for it. I knew there was going to be a long road ahead of me if I wanted to be a hockey player. There were countless times where I could have laid in bed instead of getting up and going to six am goalie ices, went out with friends instead of going to the gym, and even eat junk food instead of having a healthy snack.

However, I knew those things weren’t going to get me to where I am today. I was even being told by doubters: maybe you should consider something else, it’s a long shot, the odds are against you. But I didn’t let anything change my dream, if I can beat cancer there is nothing that I can’t do. I could have never guessed what that first statement in the hospital would lead to, but it has taken me all over the world playing the game I love and has enabled me to meet so many amazing coaches, teammates, boosters, fans, and families.

The thing about dreams is that with hard work, determination, and consistency, they will evolve into something bigger, better than you could ever imagine. This all started with a simple statement of “I want to play hockey”.

This is where my story comes full circle.

After everything I went through as a kid — the hospital rooms, the chemo, the endless tests, the long nights wondering what would come next — hockey became my escape. It became my dream. It became proof that there was life waiting for me after cancer, and that I wasn’t fighting for nothing.

Now, as an adult, as a goalie, and as someone who was given a second chance, I feel a responsibility to use the game I love to help kids who are standing exactly where I once stood.

That’s why I’m launching the Saves for a Cure line

This isn’t just another product line.

This is my way of giving back to the place, the people, and the fight that shaped me.

For every item sold from this line, 50% of the profits will be donated to childhood cancer research.

And throughout the hockey season, for every save I make, I will personally donate 25 cents.

At the end of each season, we’ll total every sale and every save and donate it all.

Because no child should ever feel alone in this battle. Because someone once fought for me, and now it’s my turn to fight for them. Because if there’s one lesson cancer taught me, it’s this:
You can’t control how your story starts, only how it unfolds.

Saves for a Cure Collection