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December 14, 2007

Sigalet rejoins P-Bruins

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

PROVIDENCE _ Jordan Sigalet will return to the practice ice on Sunday.

The Providence Bruins’ goaltender, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, collapsed during the third period of a game on Nov. 16 and was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital. At the time of his collapse the 26-year-old lost all feeling in his legs and it wasn’t until recently he could walk on his own. He was released from St. Joseph’s rehab center on Thursday and was back at the rink last night.

“It’s been a long road,” he said prior to last night’s P-Bruins game at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. “Leaving the ice [on a stretcher] that night I couldn’t move my toes. It was pretty scary, but slowly things have started to come back.”

After a few days at Rhode Island Hospital, Sigalet was finally able to move his toes, which he says was a big relief. During his rehab stint at St. Joseph's he walked around the halls with his skates on because he wants to return to game action.

After he collapsed that night it took a few minutes until he regained consciousness, and it was at that point he thought his career was over.

"I was definitely out cold for a bit," he recalls. "Waking up with [trainer] Mike Poirier asking me if I knew where I was, and what the score was, I didn't remember much at all. As soon as I woke up I knew I couldn't move anything from the waist down. I had no sensation at all and it was pretty scary. I have had the part with no sensation before, but never this kind of muscle weakness. Right then I stopped thinking about hockey completely and was worried about my health and getting better."

Sigalet was dianosed with MS in 2004 during his junior year at Bowling Green and he has never let the disease beat him. Even now.

He's hoping and attempting to continue his promising pro career. The former Bowling Green standout and Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2005 was selected by the Boston Bruins in the seventh round (209th overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He began his pro career with Providence in 2005.

"There's still a lot of hard work ahead of me, but most of the battle is over," he said. "Hopefully everything is straight up from here."

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 6:19 PM | Permalink

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