NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On his way home after the game, Cody Hodgson called his father.
It was one of the common conversations between hockey players and their fathers at all levels, from peepee to pro. Game-centered chat.
What did you see in that scoring chance?
Would you do something different here?
How did you feel in that situation?
For Cody Hodgson, whom we profiled, it was a piece of hard-won normalcy. The Athletic At the beginning of this year.
even deeper
A mysterious illness interrupted his promising NHL career. 8 years later, hope and comeback
Once a top prospect and top center in the NHL, Hodgson’s hockey career was cut short by a genetic disease called malignant hyperthermia. Hodgson’s disease causes muscle strains and organ damage as a direct result of overexertion and heat sensitivity. His career came to an abrupt end in 2016, and Hodgson was understandably forced to spend eight years away from professional hockey.
But over the past 12 months, Hodgson has found ways to manage his medication doses and push himself physically again. He lost 30 pounds. He trained for months with Brad Wheeler, a top trainer who trains NHL stars. He signed a tryout contract with the Milwaukee Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, and went on to have unimaginable success with one of the league’s top teams, scoring five goals in his first six games. Recorded.
Cody Hodgson, are you serious!!#milhockey pic.twitter.com/zarMMzDv6x
— y – Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) March 2, 2024
Talking to his dad in the car after the game is a moment Hodgson hasn’t been able to enjoy during his eight years away from the game. They’re there with the thrill of bringing the home crowd to its feet or quieting the road crowd. Greasy postgame pizza after a road game. The unparalleled rush that comes from competing, riffing on the ice with your linemates, or just playing hockey.
On this night, Hodgson was going to take it all in. He had already made his decision.
Hodgson, who spent eight years crafting an incredible comeback story in 13 AHL games, saw what he needed to see. He had proven what he had to prove, at least to himself, and that was what mattered.
The symptoms of malignant hyperthermia recurred. Away from his normal daily routine and in the unstructured environment of being on the road as a professional athlete, microtears began to build up again in his back and neck muscles. Heat sensitivity made everything worse. He returned to his job after a long period of absence from games and practice. At one point, he got home from practice and realized he couldn’t get out of the car.
All of that was secondary in this moment. In this moment, he was at peace.
“We were talking about the game and I said, ‘It’s over,'” Hodgson said. The Athletic At lunch last weekend. “I knew something was up. I was feeling sick when I was skating and had all these symptoms.
“And my dad said, ‘Okay, well…then don’t worry about my advice!'”
For Hodgson, the recurrence of his symptoms ended an unlikely extension to his professional career. In close consultation with experts at the University of Toronto, Hodgson devised a narrow path to defeating the disease in the right conditions.
Through breathing exercises and ice baths, he was able to maintain elite-level athletic performance for about eight months. He created a body type that allows athletes to play high-level professional hockey. He performed well in a very difficult league and had a natural talent for finding the net as a goalscorer, becoming a historic player and top player for Canada’s U20 national team in his youth. . 10th pick in the NHL draft.
A first-round pick of the Canucks in 2008, Hodgson was once one of the NHL’s brightest young stars. (Jeff Vinick/NHLI via Getty Images)
More than that, Hodgson impressed the Admirals organization. On a team loaded with top draft picks and young talent, the Admirals welcomed Hodgson and kept him because of his production and obvious passion for the game.
The club came to appreciate Hodgson’s old toughness in his play despite injuries after his return, particularly Hodgson’s broken ribs in his first game back. Some of the injuries Hodgson sustained were due to playing professional hockey in off-the-shelf gear.
Hodgson was a contributor in Milwaukee, but more than that, the team saw him as a good role model for young players.
In the more controlled environment of his home, Mr. Hodgson’s routine allowed him to stay on this narrow path — he never took so many medications as to cause side effects, but the normal debilitation of hyperthermia I had no symptoms – but my symptoms started to get worse. He returned when the Admirals traveled to the Western Conference to play teams from warmer climates such as San Diego and Denver.
In the first game of the trip, Hodgson continued his hot streak with a goal and an assist for San Diego. Then his symptoms returned.
“The heat was too much for me, especially when I didn’t have access to my normal daily routine,” Hodgson said, explicitly grabbing the back of her neck in Nashville’s 90-degree humidity. “I can still feel my neck being stiff from the heat.”
On the flight back to Milwaukee after the expedition, Hodgson sensed something was wrong. He was feeling uncomfortable and felt some of the familiar symptoms that robbed him of his ability to perform eight years ago. Although it was mid-March, Hodgson did not appear in a professional game against the Admirals until four weeks later.
In the first period of the next game, Hodgson made a decision.
“In the first period I knew it was going to be my last game,” Hodgson said. “I had warmers all over my body and hands. It was too much. I knew it was over. I knew I couldn’t continue.
“I actually talked to winger Egor Afanasyev, we have really good chemistry and I like playing with him. Once he got into it, he started saying, “Don’t stop!” he told me between shifts,” Hodgson said with a laugh. “I’m glad I had a good game, but my back was straining, I was super hot, my neck was tight, and I was starting to feel bad. That’s not a recipe for playing professional hockey.”
Hodgson had a final that night and he soaked it up. He spent the entire match captivating the crowd.
“You can’t play in front of thousands of people in the men’s league,” he said.
Despite following a strict diet, he enjoyed a slice of postgame pizza. On the bus back to Milwaukee, he thanked Admirals general manager Scott Nichol for the opportunity. And he called his father on his way home to discuss the game.
“I was just trying to have fun,” Hodgson said. “I didn’t understand it at first.
“A lot of players go into their last game knowing it’s their last game, but I just couldn’t understand that. I didn’t feel like I could truly enjoy professional hockey.
“The last time I had to stop, I had to stop abruptly. I didn’t know what was going on at the time. The pressure I was putting on myself, the pressure from the fans and the coaches. I was feeling a lot more stress. This time I realized it and I was able to really accept it.”
Hodgson developed malignant hyperthermia and his attempts to return were halted for reasons of personal safety, but his efforts to return were remarkable. He returned to professional hockey and was having success, but his disability returned.
“If I came back and didn’t touch the puck, that would have been OK. A lot of people expected that,” Hodgson said.
“A lot of my close friends, especially those who play professional hockey, know that six months off is a long time in this sport. It’s very hard to take a year off. Eight years. My friends were worried about me. Their response was, “Don’t get hurt!” So I don’t think a lot of them expected me to play more than a few games and didn’t mind performing at the level I was able to when I was good. ”
Hodgson’s performance provided some closure. Ultimately, his fate was decided not by his will, skill level or ability as a hockey player, but by a medical condition beyond his control.
“I made a promise to myself that if I felt like I was good enough[to be healthy]no matter when that happened, even eight years from now, I would try,” Hodgson said. “Now I know. I just can’t do it, so it’s okay. I’m more at peace than I’ve ever been in the past eight years.”
“I answered the question that I could play again. Maybe someone else would look at it objectively and come to a different conclusion, but I thought I could keep up with the kids!”
when The Athletic When we caught up with Hodgson, he was in Nashville finishing up some errands in preparation for a full-time return to Toronto to be closer to family. As he considers what’s next, he’s at peace with the end of his hockey career. And he’s excited about what he learned as he begins his comeback attempt and how it will shape his lifestyle going forward.
“It made me feel less scared,” Hodgson said. “When I first finished running, they told me not to go running, to avoid prolonged strenuous exercise and high fever. Now I know it’s okay to do those things. I did.
“My lifestyle is much better now. My daily routine is to wake up, do some breathing exercises, take a cold bath, do Pilates, and go for a run. So I tried to stay as healthy as possible, but I never thought I’d be able to stay as fit and enjoy physical activity as I did when I was a kid.”
Hodgson is also proud of the response from families and others managing malignant hyperthermia, or the RYR-1 disorder. He says he’s heard that the coverage of his comeback attempt has broadened his awareness of the disorder.
“I came back because I wanted to play,” Hodgson said. “But when I published my story, I received so many calls from families asking how I had been able to cope with and control my disability, which made me happy.” I think that’s a really positive thing.
“When people call me and ask me for advice, I just say, ‘Don’t stop thinking you can go back to your normal routine.’ Breathing techniques, ice baths, different types of medications. It may not be exactly the way I do it, but find what works for you and keep working until you find a solution.”
(Photo: Molly Gash/AP Photo)
