Paul Sancya / AP
Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore plays against the Detroit Red Wings in the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, in Detroit.
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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There’s a word Shea Theodore associates himself with these days. It’s an innocuous enough word, if not one you would consider for someone who spent the offseason the way he did.
The Golden Knights defenseman revealed Thursday on The Players’ Tribune he beat testicular cancer this summer and is fully recovered. He spoke to the media in Las Vegas on Friday and fell back to one feeling that summed up his takeaway from the ordeal.
Lucky.
“Failing that drug test and the result that came of it, I was extremely lucky,” Theodore said. “The doctors have got a close watch on me and I’ve done all the tests and I’m ready to go for camp. I feel good.”
As detailed in his essay, Theodore failed a drug test while in Slovakia for the IIHF World Championships in May. The hormone that flagged the testers was called hCG, which though normally found in pregnant women, can be a sign of testicular cancer. When he returned to North America, blood tests showed a lump that needed to be removed.
What scares Theodore the most is not what happened, but what would have happened if the circumstances were different. If the Golden Knights advanced further in the postseason he wouldn’t have been playing for Team Canada. If he wasn’t in Slovakia, he may not have gotten drug tested. If he didn’t know he had cancer, it could have spread.
“It’s crazy. When you look at it like that, it’s not something anyone can write up and anyone can plan for,” Theodore said. “I was very fortunate to find out that way.”
Theodore didn’t skate as the Golden Knights practiced for the first time Friday, though it’s not because of the cancer recovery. He’s healed and ready to get on the ice, but tweaked something during an informal skate and is considered day-to-day.
“It really makes you stop and realize there are obviously way more important things than hockey,” center Paul Stastny said. “The first reaction is hoping that he’d be OK. Selfishly sometimes it’s like ‘Oh is he going to be ready for the start of the season?’ When you take a step back and have perspective you just realize, no no no, hopefully they can get rid of the cancer and go from there and day-to-day life for him is back to normal.”
Theodore, who has been a major part of the Golden Knights in their initial two seasons, just turned 24 last month. That adds to the shock of an otherwise healthy athlete getting the diagnosis of a nightmare.
“You never want one of your loved ones to get touched by it,” forward Jonathan Marchessault said. “It’s bad news there, but you have to think he’s blessed and lucky. Look at him right now, he’s great, he’s doing awesome. I cannot be more happy for him.”
It’s an important season for Theodore on the ice. He took a step forward with career-bests in goals (12), assists (25) and points (37) in the 2018-19 regular season, and followed it up with eight points in seven postseason games and seven points in 10 games at Worlds.
Theodore will be looked upon to be one of Vegas’ best defensemen this season. While the team’s first thought is making sure he’s cancer-free, the Golden Knights are thrilled to be getting him on the ice as well.
“I thought it was really courageous by Shea and real scary for him,” General Manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “He’s a very talented player, he is an effortless skater that we expect is really going to develop for a few years. I think he’s improved so much and he has all kinds of potential still.”
Testicular cancer is on the rarer side of male cancers, but is the most common type among those aged 15-35, according to the Mayo Clinic. Luckily for Theodore, it is one of the most treatable, and he found it early enough that it did not spread to another part of his body.
There are chances it comes back, but now that Theodore is aware of it, he’s able to keep a closer eye on it. And that is what Theodore wants the big takeaway to be.
Early detection saved him, as it did for his grandmother who beat breast cancer and his grandfather, who beat kidney and prostate cancer. Theodore said on The Players’ Tribune that he’s donating money to early detection causes for every point he scores this year, which the Vegas Golden knights Foundation will match dollar-for-dollar.
Cancer spares no one, not even professional hockey players. Theodore was lucky, and hopes others can be as well.
“Everyone has their own battles and it was kind of an honor to share mine and kind of relate to kids who are going through a lot worse things,” Theodore said. “If I can bring some awareness to this small little thing, that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Justin Emerson can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Justin on Twitter at twitter.com/@j15emerson.
