Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

By Kara McIntosh

When New Lowell resident Jesse Hubbert started to suffer from debilitating chronic pain caused by small vessel vasculitis at 15 years old, he had to give up the sports he loved – baseball, hockey and cross country running. The pain was so intense that Jesse could barely walk and sports were out of the question.

During one of his stays at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, someone brought in a hockey sledge to show the kids. Jesse’s Mum, Sherry, suggested that he try it when he became well enough.

In 2011, at 20 years old, Jesse played his first season as a defenseman for the Elmvale Bears Sledge Hockey Team. After the team’s regular goalie got sick, Jesse offered to try playing net because he had old goalie equipment from his Dad and younger brother. Since then, he hasn’t looked back.

Because Jesse’s pain affects mostly his knees, playing in the sledge means he doesn’t have to use his legs the same way that stand-up hockey players do. Although he tries to walk as much as he can, he relies on the support of canes and a wheelchair often.

But Jesse has refused to let his illness keep him off the ice forever. “It has been awesome to be back out on the ice playing a game I love. When I got sick, it was so hard to give it up and to be able to get back into the game is just incredible. It is so freeing and has really brought my spirits up,” he said

Last month, Jesse, now 23, played goalie for the Ontario North Team in the Ontario Winter Games in Gravenhurst, where the team won the bronze medal. Last year, as a Junior, Jesse was part of the Ontario North East Team who won Gold at the Ontario Para Sport Games in Kingston.
Sledge hockey is growing in the area. The Elmvale organization is expanding to include a Junior team next season – the Elmvale Cubs – and they continue pick up more intermediate players for the Bears team.

For Jesse, his ultimate goal is to represent Canada in 2018 at the Paralympic Games in South Korea. He has been invited to try out for the Ontario Sledge Hockey Team this coming fall which, if he makes it, will put him on the right track towards realizing his Paralympic dream.
Jesse and the Bears will be playing this weekend in the Ontario Sledge Hockey Association’s Champions Day game in North Bay to finish the 2013-2014 season.

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