Sidelined due to injury, Jade Lore and Emily Chan’s recoveries would not have been as smooth without the support of their Fraser Valley Rush teammates
With a busy hockey schedule, it’s sometimes hard to balance other
activities. That’s why Fraser Valley Rush defender Jade Lore was extra
excited to be able to play in a high school basketball tournament in
December 2021.
“I hadn’t been able to go to many games because of hockey,” Lore says. “I
got dressed, I didn’t actually think my basketball coach would put me in,
but she did, so I played.”
Unfortunately, as the then-16-year-old was running down the court, she tore
her ACL and meniscus in her right knee—an injury that would ultimately
sideline her for over 10 months.
“It was really hard,” Lore says. “I took it pretty rough because I went
from playing hockey every day, practicing it, to all of a sudden not doing
it at all.”
What made matters harder for Lore was her team was having a fantastic
season in the British Columbia Elite Hockey League (BCEHL), eventually
winning the Pacific Region title to qualify for the Esso Cup, Canada’s
Women’s U18 National Club Championship, for the first time in eight years.
Although it could have been easy to stay at home and be withdrawn during
the season, the Richmond, B.C., native stayed with the Rush every step of
the way. She watched each practice, joined the team at games and even
travelled for tournaments, like the 2022 Esso Cup in Okotoks, Alta.
“The whole experience for me was both an amazing opportunity that I’m super
grateful for, but also a very tough one at the same time,” Lore explains.
“It was always hard having to watch my team play on such a big stage. I
would always want to be out there with them, but obviously I couldn’t. I
just tried to be on the sidelines helping them in any way that I could,
cheering them on.”
While Lore was supporting the Rush while they were on the ice, her
teammates were there for her off the ice.
“My team is less like a team and more like a family. They are all my
sisters,” Lore says. “They were always checking in on me, […] they always
reminded me that I was still a part of the team even though I was off the
ice. That really helped me. I think that they helped me in a bigger way
than I helped them.”
That support was shown to Lore in a variety of ways. Her teammates would
help her navigate when Lore was on crutches. If Lore was doing homework on
the bench, her team would assist her in getting caught up.
“If they saw that I was down, they would make a joke or dance for me, do
whatever they could to make me laugh, which was really helpful,” she says.
“If I didn’t have them, I would be a lot more shut down and not really want
to talk about it. My mental health wouldn’t be as good because they really
did help me through that whole process.”
Throughout last season while Lore watched the Rush from the stands, head
coach Tony Lindsay had a reminder for her: “This will be you next year.”
After returning in the middle of November with a welcome back “rookie lap”
on the ice, Lore finally had a chance to help the Rush on their road to the
Esso Cup.
“Tony did bring up how he wanted to get us back so that I could play, which
was very meaningful to me to see how badly he wanted me to play in the Esso
Cup,” Lore says. “I’m super excited we’re going back.”
Although her return to the ice is complete, her experience recovering from
her knee injury helped her be there for her teammate, Emily Chan, when she
tore her ACL last October.
“Jade was injured and still recovering when I tore mine, so I had her to
watch games with me and guide me through the first part,” the 15-year-old
Chan says. “It was really nice to hear from her and see how she dealt with
this struggle.”
“I was in her shoes,” Lore adds. “It’s very hard for somebody to encourage,
but also help and talk deeply about the injury if you haven’t had it.
“I’m glad I could be there for her.”
Recovering from any injury is not just physical—every athlete also has to
recover mentally. As Lore and Chan discovered, having a dedicated support
system of family, friends and teammates can make all the difference.
“It’s nice having someone you can relate to, because the thing a lot of
people don’t understand about this injury is that it’s a really tough
mental game more than it is physical,” Chan says. “[My teammates] have
helped me a lot, and I don’t think I’d be where I am without their
support.”
“Like Tony was saying to me last year, this is going to be [Emily] next
year,” Lore says. “She’s young, so she’s still got a lot ahead of her. I’m
proud of her progress. She’s doing good.”
Going through adversity like injuries proves the bonds made on the ice in
hockey are not limited to the rink. Those connections extend into every
aspect of a player’s life, and players like Chan and Lore are grateful for
that support from their second family.
“Without a doubt, hockey has helped me so much,” Chan says. “I think the
best part about hockey is obviously the sport, but also the people that
come along with it. That just means so much.”
“It just meant a lot how my team was there for me,” Lore adds. “I think
that’s the most important part because our team is a family. We’re always
there for each other.”
