WINNIPEG – It’s been a long road to pro hockey for the newest member of the Manitoba Moose.
From Alaska to Florida to Winnipeg, Moose defenceman Justin Woods has had quite the journey. But his hockey career was nearly derailed in 2014 after his freshman season at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. A cyst on his right knee turned out to be malignant and he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma.
“It was obviously a pretty crazy time when I found out but I got through it.” Woods said. “It was about nine months of chemotherapy and one month of radiation.”
Woods was forced to turn down an invite to the Winnipeg Jets development camp while he was busy beating cancer and he missed the entire 2014-15 season. But hockey was secondary at that point.
“A little bit worried cause obviously when somebody tells you have cancer you’re pretty scared at the moment.” Woods said.
“They said I was really lucky cause it was very early, so that obviously gave me some positive thinking.”
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After getting back to full health Woods eventually attended the Jets development camp two years later, but the health scare changed not only his outlook on hockey, but also his outlook on life.
“I used to come to the rink sometimes, just not wanting to practice or anything and just being kind of negative sometimes, and then that just completely changed my perspective.” he said. “Every opportunity that I get, just the make the most of it, and just enjoy your time, cause you don’t know if you have the next day.”
But what Woods does have is a promising career ahead of him. After playing out his senior season in Alaska, he recorded seven points in eights games in the ECHL with the Jacksonville Icemen and then the Moose came calling.
“It seems like he keeps developing and we don’t know his ceiling yet.” Moose head coach Pascal Vincent said. “And we’re looking to evaluate players and our pro scouts were telling us that we should give him a chance.”
You can be sure he’ll be making the most of it.
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