A night for Newc – Eagles welcome return of cancer survivor Newcombe
If you were to watch footage of Jacob Newcombe skating in practice with the Cape Breton Eagles yesterday, part of his first week back on the ice with his teammates this season, the word that best describes what you’d see is “natural”. Pace, movement, demeanor; it feels, on the surface, like any other day.
It would require a ton of conviction, not to mention courage, to approach the day with any sense of normalcy given what life has looked like for Newcombe these past five and a half months. But, in one of the great paradoxes of life, it’s that courage and conviction that’s brought him to this point.
Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in July, Newcombe spent the first half of the season focusing on recovery. After “ringing the bell” on December 7 to announce he was officially in remission, the 19-year-old from Sambro, Nova Scotia could then fully concentrate on returning to the Eagles.
The confluence of events that ties into his return to the Eagles’ lineup this evening – it’s the team’s Hockey Fights Cancer night, against Newcombe’s former club, the Chicoutimi Sagueneens – adds an almost unbelievable element to an already extraordinary moment.
“I didn’t have an exact date in mind but had a good idea when I could be back,” Newcombe explained. “This was around the time period. It’ll be good to get back out there against my former team. It’s quite a coincidence.”
Newcombe spent the first season and a half of his Q career with the Sags, posting 55 points in 99 games. Dealt to the Eagles during last year’s holiday trade period, his offensive game found a bit more traction. With 27 points in 36 games in Cape Breton, a larger role both on the ice and off beckoned before all of his priorities suddenly shifted over the Summer.
“It’s difficult getting the news and to go through that,” Newcombe says with a definitive tone. “You know you’re missing out on the hockey side of things. The doctor’s moved pretty quickly on things, I’m grateful for that. I did six rounds of chemo. I had a recent scan that looked good.”
– “I’m cancer-free. Just happy to be here.”
The feeling is mutual among everyone in the Eagles organization and throughout the hockey world at large. That includes Cape Breton Head Coach Louis Robitaille, who will be afforded the pleasure of coaching Newcombe in a game for the first time this evening.
“Sometimes things just go like this,” the first-year Eagles bench boss said. “We were supposed to have our Hockey Fights Cancer night in November, but instead it’s [tonight], against Jacob’s former team. It’s a great story and we’re glad to have him back.”
The look on Robitaille’s face at yesterday’s press conference announcing Newcombe’s return to the lineup was a mix of gratefulness and relief. The same could be said for Newcombe. However, there was another adjective that came to the player’s mind when asked how he felt.
“I think I surprised myself a little bit,” Newcombe said. “I’ve been skating a little over the past few months, but it’s my first week practising with the team. It’s gone well.”
Newcombe, who hit the ice with skating coach Jill Plandowski, the Halifax MacDonald’s U18 squad and the Saint Mary’s University Huskies leading up to his return on the Cape, also followed the Eagles closely while on the road to recovery; sometimes, literally.
“I watched as many games as I could and came on a few road trips with the team,” he recalls. “That definitely helped me take my mind off things.”
The days of watching are in the past. The days of playing eagerly await. The Eagles have remained competitive over the first few months of the season, even bolstering their lineup during the latest trade period.
Now, the organization’s inspirational leader takes center stage as the stretch drive begins.
– “I’m thankful for everyone that’s reached out and supported me.”
“It made everything easier. [Our] fans have been very supportive. It would be great to have a big crowd in the building for a special night,” he mentions.
Jacob has rung the bell. Now, it’s time for hockey-loving Capers to answer the call. And for all of us to watch such an inspiration in action.