Otters’ Timpano making hospital dream come true
Erie goalie saw himself hoisting trophy while recovering from serious illness
Lying in a hospital bed at UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa., for eight days in February, Troy Timpano was driven by a singular vision.
The Erie Otters goaltender would close his eyes and think of lifting a trophy high above his head sometime in May. And if he was lucky, perhaps he would have a chance to do it twice.
Timpano and his Otters teammates got that first trophy out of the way on May 12, when they beat the Mississauga Steelheads to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as Ontario Hockey League champions.
With two wins in two games at the 2017 Memorial Cup, the Otters are two victories away from securing major junior hockey’s most prestigious trophy. Next is a match on Wednesday against the host Windsor Spitfires as the round robin concludes.
A win for Erie and it’s straight to the final. A loss and it’s an appearance in the semifinal on Friday, with another shot at advancing to the final on the line.
Get past the wonderful things Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat have been doing for the Otters, the contributions from Raddysh brothers Taylor and Darren and from newcomers Anthony Cirelli and Warren Foegele, and you’ll find Timpano, a picture of perseverance.
Acquired from Sudbury in a trade last August, Timpano won his first 13 games as an Otter, setting a club record. That streak started on Oct. 7, and only when Timpano’s Erie debut was delayed after he endured a bout of mononucleosis.
A more serious threat to Timpano’s well-being came toward the end of January. Timpano wasn’t feeling well, but gutted through a win in London on Jan. 27. Within days, his health deteriorated and he was admitted to hospital.
“It wasn’t until three days after being there when they said I was battling complicated pneumonia,” Timpano said. “It got to the point where my organs were starting to fail and I wasn’t getting enough oxygen. I practically almost died. It was scary, but I stayed positive.
“As soon as they found out what was going on, they put me on the right medication and I slowly started to get better.”
Timpano’s parents, Steve and Sylvia, were at their son’s bedside for the entire time. They watched as Troy, with the help of antibiotics and a chest tube, fought against the illness. In the process, Troy lost 20 pounds.
“He looked like Tom Hanks from the movie Castaway,” Steve Timpano told Postmedia on Tuesday. “We got scared. We went from thinking he was sick to maybe he would miss a few games. Then all we cared about was getting our son healthy again. Was he going to pull through this? I said to my wife, ‘I don’t know if he’ll play another game this season.’
“We’re so happy to see him compete now. This is all him.”
Once Timpano recovered and was released, he put his mind to regaining the weight he had lost. Under the guidance of Otters trainer Andrew Kupniewski, Timpano “ate a lot of food in general, just good food” and worked out strenuously, at times hitting the weight room in the wee hours of the morning after returning from a team road trip. The 20 pounds were back on his six-foot frame within two weeks. Timpano returned to the Otters net on Feb. 25 and helped get a win in Barrie.
Ask Timpano about his hockey future, and he will give you an honest answer. A 19-year-old native of Pickering, Ont., Timpano hasn’t been drafted and has not attended an NHL camp.
“I didn’t do enough to show teams what I could ( be capable of ), and that’s on me,” Timpano said. “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised. I have to do more.”
This week, it’s about the chance to lift another trophy.
“When I was visualizing, it was not just about the OHL championship,” Timpano said. “The Memorial Cup was the bigger picture. That’s what kept me positive. With the team we had, I knew it was possible.
“It’s been a roller-coaster ride, but we’re here now. We’re not done yet.”
It got to the point where my organs were starting to fail and I wasn’t getting enough oxygen. I practically almost died.