Newcombe to return to Eagles lineup Thursday after cancer battle
Here is undoubtedly one of the best stories from the CHL this season.
The Cape Breton Eagles announced on Wednesday that forward Jacob Newcombe will return Thursday against the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, six months after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The scenario couldn’t be more perfect: his comeback will take place during the Eagles’ ‘Hockey Fights Cancer.’
Adding to the story is that his return will come against Newcombe’s former team in the QMJHL; he played for the Saguenéens from 2021-22 before being traded to the Eagles.
“It will be good; the initial plan wasn’t necessarily to play against my former team, but it’s even better,” Newcombe said. “Especially with the ‘Hockey Fights Cancer’ night, it will be special. The fans have supported me a lot and it would be incredible if there were as many spectators as possible.”
Newcombe underwent six sessions of chemotherapy at three-week intervals over several months. Ultimately, his last treatment was successful: tests showed that there was no longer any trace of the disease in his body.
What’s even more impressive is that Newcombe skated with his teammates in Cape Breton for the first time on Monday.
“I’m surprised myself,” confessed Newcombe in a press conference. “I’ve been skating for several months, but I’ve only had one week of training. I’m really excited to be back.”
Never far from hockey
Obviously, the news of the diagnosis was tough for the 19-year-old player at first. However, he considered himself fortunate to have had the support of everyone and gave special thanks to his doctors and close ones.
But there’s also the hockey aspect. Even though he wasn’t with the Eagles, the Nova Scotia native skated for several months in the Halifax area.
“You can’t stop skating for a few months and make a comeback as fast as I did,” Newcombe said. “I spent a lot of time in the gym which was very helpful.
“Jill Plandowski (a renowned skating coach in the Halifax area) offered to go skating with me which helped me a lot. I also trained at St. Mary’s University around Christmas. It allowed me to get my legs moving and be ready for this comeback.”
To take his mind off things, Newcombe also watched a lot of Eagles games. He had the opportunity to travel with them for some away games which helped distract him.
Earlier this season, he took part in warmups ahead of the Eagles home-opener on Sept. 22 while more than $7,500 was raised to help cover Newcombe’s treatments.
HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER NIGHT.
AGAINST HIS FORMER TEAM.
THURSDAY NIGHT…
NEWC COMES HOME #91Strong 💜 pic.twitter.com/MTQRj1flNr
— Cape Breton Eagles (@CBEHockey) January 17, 2024
Motivated teammates
Obviously, this meeting will be special for #91, but also for all the members of the Eagles. Such a comeback, after a player has fought against cancer for months, leaves a lasting impression.
“We are extremely happy; we all had smiles on our faces seeing him again this morning,” said Eagles defenceman Tomas Lavoie. “It’s been a very tough ordeal for him over the past few months but I think he sees the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Head coach Louis Robitaille also believes that the return of the 19-year-old will have an impact on the hockey side.
“It will be great to see him back with the team,” he said. “He’s a leader and I believe he will bring a good dose of energy to the locker room.”
Such an event always provides a lot of inspiration for those who may go through a similar ordeal in the future. Newcombe’s advice”
“It’s tough to go through but the most important thing is that you have constant support from everyone. Everyone is there for you.
“You just have to fight through it all.”
The Eagles will host the Saguenéens at the Centre 200 in Sydney tomorrow night at 6pm ET on CHL TV.