Chouinard returns to Drakkar lineup after Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis
Photo credit: Kassandra Blais
The Baie-Comeau Drakkar already boast a formidable lineup but now they’ve received a significant motivational boost too.
Defenceman Émile Chouinard returned to action on Tuesday in Game 3 of the Drakkar’s series against the Charlottetown Islanders after he completed his radiotherapy treatments to combat Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
In his return, Chouinard collected an assist as the Drakkar beat the Islanders 5-1. The overage d-man posted a +2 rating and recorded three hits as the Drakkar took a 3-0 series lead.
The Drakkar had announced Chouinard’s diagnosis on Jan. 27 and he last suited up for the team on Feb. 3.
Assistant captain to Isaac Dufort, the Quebec native is in his fourth season in the QMJHL. An eighth round pick in the 2019 QMJHL Draft, Chouinard has played 200 games with Baie-Comeau and is one of 17 d-men in team history to achieve that feat.
Chouinard is the second player in the QMJHL to return this season after a battle with cancer; Cape Breton’s Jacob Newcombe made his season debut Jan. 18 after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in the offseason.
