Type 1 diabetes not stopping Gardner from living his dream
A player doesn’t make it to the WHL without the ability to fight through hardships. Saskatoon Blades rookie netminder Evan Gardner has experienced his fair share of adversity throughout his journey to the league.
“I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 11 years old,” said Gardner. “I was on holidays with my family going to Kelowna for a baseball camp and my parents suspected something was going on based on stuff that was happening during the car ride. They took me in and found out I had it.”
The Lake Country, BC product says he was scared when he first heard the news, having no idea what it would mean for his hockey career. Gardner says nurses quickly assured him that his ability to play hockey wouldn’t be impacted.
“The nurses showed me a bunch of athletes, one of them being Max Domi. I started to look up to him after I was diagnosed, read his book, and learned a bit from him because he went through the same thing growing up.”
The 6-foot-2 goalie remained one of the top players in his age group, so much so the Blades selected Gardner in the third-round 53rd overall in the 2021 WHL Prospect Draft. Living with type 1 diabetes for around six years, Gardner’s had to make adjustments to how he approaches the game.
The Saskatoon Blades host the Prince Albert Raiders at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, September 24, 2023
“You have your good and bad days. Some days it’s it’s hard to manage with nerves, adrenaline, and getting that under control. Over the years I’ve gotten a lot better with it and more dialled in when it comes to game time. I think I’m still learning a lot and the organization is helping me get better before games.”
That proved true on Sept. 24th 2023 in the Blades 4-2 victory at their home opener against the Prince Albert Raiders. Gardner stood on his head turning aside 30-of-32 shots for his first career WHL win in just his second ever start.
“It meant a lot to me getting that first win under my belt, and to have family in person come watch meant the world to me. It was a really fun experience and I was really thrilled to get it done at home.”
Gardner says the technology around type 1 diabetes is continually evolving. Most notably, no longer having to do a finger-prick test to monitor his blood sugar.
“I fortunately don’t have to do that anymore,” said Gardner, “I have a monitor that’s on me all the time monitoring my blood sugar. The first year or two I was on the finger pokes.”
Similar to how Domi inspired him growing up, Gardner hopes he can provide the same inspiration to up-and-coming athletes living with diabetes.
“Don’t let it take a negative toll on you, you’re still a normal person,” said Gardner, “I like to think there’s lots of things that you’ve got to learn that come with it, but don’t let that stop you from doing what you want to achieve.”
