NHL prospect Mark Pysyk goes through a test called VO2 Max.Fernando Morales/The Globe and Mail
As hockey fans gear up for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals on Saturday, they also got their first peek at the National Hockey League's future stars: Dozens of strong, sculpted young men representing the top prospects for the 2010 entry draft were paraded in front of the media on Friday, where they proved their physical prowess in a series of fitness tests in front of a sea of flashing cameras.
What fans didn't get to see, however, was another series of tests the athletes were forced to undergo in a subterranean, makeshift medical facility where affable doctors in running shoes consulted charts and screens, seeking medical flaws that could instantly extinguish any hopes of a professional career on the ice.
The lengthy physical exams in the basement of an airport hotel - access to which was granted exclusively to The Globe and Mail - are designed to seek out "significant findings" such as persistent injuries, or a history of concussions. They are also designed to hunt down that rare clinical catch: an occult heart problem that could result in a sudden cardiac death. It's an important exam to pass - not just for the athletes, but for the teams willing to invest tens of millions of dollars in the next Sidney Crosby, in the hopes of winning the next Stanley Cup.
"They know before these people come to the camp who is the best hockey player," said Norm Gledhill, lead exercise physiologist for the NHL Scouting Combine. "...What they don't know is the fitness and medical aspect of those individuals."
Erik Gudbranson, 18, stood at one of the three-dimensional ultrasound machines in the medical centre on Friday, and had his heart described as "perfect" by a cardiologist.
"I know I'm a pretty healthy kid and I feel good. I wasn't really too worried about it going in," said Mr. Gudbranson, who at 6 feet, 4 inches and weighing 200 pounds, plays defence for the Kingston Frontenacs. "It's kind of cool...I've never seen [my heart]pumping."
Ever since 490 BC, when professional messenger Phidippides collapsed and died after running more than 20 miles to Athens to announce victory at Marathon, sudden cardiac death has been the subject of fascination. Today, it is the reason of scrupulous medical investigation when it comes to professional sports - and for good reason.
David Carle, the Alaska-born younger brother of NHL defenceman Matt Carle, was a coveted NHL draft pick, until his dreams of a hockey career were smashed two years ago in the scouting combine. A heart problem was picked up and later testing confirmed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the same thickening of the heart muscle that had killed OHL Windsor Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud in 2008.
Scott Gledhill -no relation to Norm - an emergency room physician at Toronto General Hospital at the combine, said that as a result, four three-dimensional echocardiography ultrasound machines were recently brought in to provide a more definitive medical diagnosis on site.
"It is going to be quite rare if we catch something but it's significant if we do," Dr. Gledhill said.
Yesterday's tests didn't reveal any career-threatening diagnoses, (tests continue today), but doctors did find a case of patent ductus arteriosis in one athlete - a heart problem where abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart. The problem, said Dr. Gledhill, can be corrected.
Medical testing didn't come into vogue until a decade or so ago, after experts began to realize the serious issues multiple concussions can raise. Heart problems and a history of repeated joint issues can red-flag a player for further investigation or knock them out of the game altogether.
Mr. Gudbranson, who has been playing hockey ever since he can remember - for 15 of his 18 years of life - was not overly concerned about any potential health problems. He said he experienced a minor sprain to the left knee some time ago that he reported to doctors.
"It's a really important day," Mr. Gudbranson said on Friday. "... For now, I'm having fun trying to soak it all in, it's an honour to be here."