OFF-ICE BATTLE
Petes prospect battles hard to deal with Crohn’s disease in effort to make it to OHL
There was a time Justin DeZoete wondered if he’d ever feel normal again.
In the summer of 2018 he was 14 and playing all-star baseball and preparing for his major bantam hockey season with the AAA Hamilton Huskies, but something wasn’t right.
He felt tired, lethargic and had stomach pains. He thought it was a virus and figured it would pass.
“I was feeling unmotivated and started losing weight and I just didn’t feel great,” he said. “Physically but mentally as well.”
By October things hadn’t improved. He wasn’t eating much because it made him ill. After a plate of plain pasta and a glass of orange juice he threw up and his sister Jade said enough was enough, he needed to go to the hospital.
After a number of tests he was diagnosed with Crohn’s, a bowel disease. He was fitted with a feeding tube in his nose and was unable to eat solid foods for six weeks.
Initial treatment didn’t yield much help. He only missed five hockey games but for a player known for playing with energy, he didn’t have much.
“I’m one of the faster kids and I could barely keep up. Usually I have a pretty hard shot and my shot wasn’t that good. I didn’t know what was happening. I was definitely drained mentally.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be good at sports again.”
The idea of one day playing in the OHL was slipping from his thoughts.
“I lowered my standards. I lowered my goals just thinking I’m not the same player,” he said.
In December 2018 he was slowly reintroduced to solid food.
“I started with a piece of bread and, kid you not, it was the best piece of bread I’ve ever had,” he said, with a laugh.
A breakthrough came in March 2019 when he was prescribed Humira.
It was a life-changer.
“I’ve felt great ever since,” he said. “It’s a biologic I take every other week and it keeps everything in order. Ever since then I’ve gotten stronger and better and gained weight.”
As co-captain of the Huskies in his minor midget season, the fivefoot-11, 159-pound right winger was back with a vengeance. He led his team with 25 goals, 30 assists for 55 points in 33 games. He added 12 goals in 15 playoff games.
The Peterborough Petes selected him 35th overall in the OHL draft on April 4. On Friday he signed with the Petes for the 2020-21 season.
“This is extra special knowing what I had to go through,” he said.
DeZoete said his parents, Rob and Brigitte, helped him get through the tough times. He recalled a pep talk from his father.
“He said this was a roadblock in your journey to play, hopefully, in the NHL. You can choose to jump over it or let it defeat you. My mindset has always been let’s not let Crohn’s define you as a person. Let’s beat it.”
Petes general manager Mike Oke said DeZoete was upfront about his medical background.
“There is enough adversity you face in on-ice issues for young people,” said Oke. “In Justin’s case he’s overcome some significant health issues and battled adversity. I think it shows a great deal about his character and commitment and willingness to overcome challenges.”
Oke researched the condition before drafting DeZoete.
“I spoke to some medical experts about how that may or may not impact a player’s ability to move forward,” said Oke. “They assured me with the type of medicine that is available out there it’s certainly something that shouldn’t hinder someone from advancing to the next level of hockey.”