The rare medical condition that has led to the retirement of a Winnipeg Jets prospect at only 21 years old is unfamiliar to the general public, the head of an international support and advocacy organization says.
Chaz Lucius, a first-round draft pick for the Jets in 2021, announced Tuesday that he was recently diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome — a hereditary disorder that affects connective tissue that stabilizes and supports the joints and organs
He has since decided to retire due to risk of injury, after continual health problems in his first three professional seasons with the Manitoba Moose, the Jets’ AHL affiliate.
Lara Bloom, president and CEO of the Ehlers-Danlos Society, told 680 CJOB’s The Start that the impacts of the disorder can vary greatly.
“People can experience tendon, ligament tears, but also autonomic nervous system — so blood pressure, heart rate, it can affect the gut … ear, nose and throat concerns, it can affect instability in the spine and neck, it really is from head to toe as to where it can impact.”
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Bloom said the syndrome can cause fragility and instability that makes athletes in high-level sports prone to injury.
Lucius was limited to only 54 games in his three seasons with the Moose, missing long stretches due to repeated ankle injuries. In a social media post Tuesday, the Kansas native said his retirement comes on doctors’ advice.
Ehlers-Danlos, Bloom said, is a condition with very little public awareness or understanding.
“Certainly, for the hypermobile type of EDS, we’re not sure what the causation is at the moment. There’s lots of research going into looking at that,” she said.
“For the other types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, we do know what the cause is — there’s a genetic pathogenic variant that causes those types that you can have a genetic test for, but still even with that they are rarely diagnosed and often misdiagnosed.”
In a statement Tuesday, Lucius said he initially thought his recurring ailments were coincidental.
“As I struggled with incurring and recovering from various joint injuries over the past several years, I had thought I was just unlucky,” he said.
“With this diagnosis of EDS, I now realize that my body impacted by EDS could not handle the physical nature of hockey.”
Lucius finishes his brief pro career with seven goals and 20 assists for a total of 27 points at the AHL level.
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