By Sam Laskaris /
Chad Sumsion would have been forgiven if he was not his usual self on the ice this season.
After all, the 19-year-old Newmarket Hurricanes’ captain, who will attend Ohio’s Bowling Green University next season, had plenty of things to think about off the ice, most notably his mother, Bonnie.
Yet he has persevered all season long and has shown tremendous leadership qualities.
Sumsion’s mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer six years earlier. It appeared she had won that battle but she found out this past May the cancer, which was not treatable this time, had returned and spread to her liver and bones.
Sumsion’s mother, who was 47, died on Jan. 13, while on a family vacation in Panama.
The Hurricanes’ captain had been granted permission to leave the squad and join his family on vacation. He was in Panama for a week before returning home. Sumsion’s parents and some family friends had been scheduled to stay an extra week in Panama.
The day after Sumsion came home to rejoin his squad, his mother was taken to hospital and died a couple of days later.
“His mother passed away on Wednesday and he played on Thursday,” said Hurricanes’ coach/GM Brian Perrin. “That spoke volumes. He wanted to play for his mom.”
In the first game following his mother’s death, Sumsion scored once and added an assist as Newmarket defeated the Orangeville Crushers 5-3.
Being a leader, even in trying times, was nothing new for Sumsion. He was the Hurricanes’ leading scorer during the regular season, collecting 59 points (29G, 30A) in 45 games.
So how did he manage to keep performing at a high level, first knowing that his mother was terminally ill and then after her death?
“I guess I just know she was a dedicated hockey mom and she did everything she could for me,” Sumsion said. “I owe it to her to keep playing hard and playing well.”
Sumsion added that his parents would frequently drive in from Woodstock, about a two-hour drive away, to attend his contests this season.
“She was a huge fan,” he said of his mother. “She loved coming to our games.”
As for next season, Sumsion will be toiling at the NCAA level with Bowling Green. He accepted the team’s scholarship offer this past September.
“Of the schools I talked to, they were my first choice,” Sumsion said, adding he had generated interest from about 10 Division I schools.
Perrin believes Sumsion will fare rather well in the American collegiate ranks.
“I think Chad will be one of those guys who by being on the ice every day and playing with better players will continue to improve,” he said. “I think he’ll be fine.”Sumsion is also confident he can handle his upcoming on-ice challenges.
“I know it’s going to be a big step up,” he said. “But I think I can handle it.”
The 6-1, 200-pounder has seen his share of action as both a left winger and a right winger with the Hurricanes, this season.
“It depends what we need,” he said.
But he believes he won’t be moving around much though once he starts playing for the Bowling Green squad.
“I think they have me penciled-in as a right winger,” he said. |