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JR Ancheta, UAF Photography

Men's Ice Hockey Brad Joyal, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

UAF defenseman Jack Weiss reflects on battle with cancer

This story was originally posted in Tuesday's edition of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Read the online version here: http://bit.ly/2NY2sJb

FAIRBANKS — Jack Weiss didn't know how to take the news when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in November 2017. 
 
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Jack Weiss
At the time, he was a 23-year-old junior defenseman for the University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey team. He was focused on running around campus, attending practices and workouts for the Nanooks while also maintaining a busy school schedule as a business administration major. 

He was in the best shape of his life, and battling cancer was not a part of his plan.

"I didn't really know how to react," Weiss said as he began to reflect on the past year after Monday's practice at the UAF Patty Ice Arena. "There really was nothing going through my head."
Once he returned to his hometown of Bloomington, Minnesota, and began chemotherapy treatment in early January, the deflating reality of what he was going up against became much more clear.

"It wasn't until I got back home and figured out that chemotherapy was what I had to do — those were the steps that made me realize it was really a big deal," he said. "It's kind of tough to put into words, but it took the wind out of me. We just figured out our plan and went from there."

Weiss took the treatments in stride, though his diagnosis carried a ripple effect that touched many of his loved ones. 

"I think my family took it harder than I did, seeing me go through all that," he said.

He went through three months of chemo treatment before finishing in March. He then needed surgery, which kept him off the ice for the majority of the summer. 
Some days were harder for the defenseman than others, but the constant support he received made the trying times a little more bearable.

"Everyone was awesome — my family, my parents, even all the guys up here and the community in Fairbanks," Weiss said. "The support has been unbelievable."

The aid Weiss received began immediately after he was diagnosed, even before he had an opportunity to share the news with his teammates. UAF was in the middle of a road trip in the Lower 48 when he found out, leaving the defenseman to cope with only a handful of other teammates who also didn't make the trip.

Weiss was taken in by Justin Woods' family, which dealt with similar circumstances when Justin, who was a fellow blueliner and last year's team captain as a redshirt senior, was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, after the 2013-14 season.

"Woody's family took me in that week because it was probably four days that I was essentially here alone," Weiss remembers. "They were amazing throughout the whole thing. Woody texted me pretty much every day during the treatment. He's a pretty special guy, and he's doing some big things now."

Woods returned to the ice for the Blue vs. Gold Game in September 2015 after missing an entire season. He received a loud ovation when his name was announced, a sign of support that made an impact on Weiss long before his own diagnosis came.

"That was my freshman year. They gave him an incredible ovation when he came back," Weiss said. "It gives me chills to talk about. It was pretty special."

Throughout his own battle, Weiss did his best to combat doubts he had with feelings of hope. As he underwent chemo and the additional surgery, he continued to think about returning to Fairbanks, resuming his academic career and suiting up for the Nanooks yet again.

"I always had it in my mind that I was going to come back, but there was always that unknown that was floating there," Weiss said. "I just always had it set that I was going to be back with these guys this year."

His dream came true Sept. 22, when he suited up in the Blue vs. Gold Game at the Patty Ice Arena. Weiss was announced in the starting lineup before the intrasquad scrimmage, triggering Nanook Nation to deliver a similar response to the one that Woods received when he returned.

"It was pretty cool, pretty special," Weiss said of the ovation. "It makes you feel like people remember you and they care about you. It was pretty nice."

Weiss received another loud response from the Carlson Center crowd Saturday when he was inserted into the starting lineup for Alaska's exhibition game against the Simon Fraser University Clan. 

He said he's happy to be back on skates as he looks forward to his senior season. But, more than anything, Weiss is really happy to get back to creating memories with his Nanooks teammates.

"The best thing is just being around the guys again and being back in the locker room," he said. "It was tough to be away from them that long and miss more than half the season."

UAF head coach Erik Largen said everybody is thankful to see him back healthy and in a position where he can make a difference for the program.

"He's unbelievable. You're talking about a Grade A human being, a Grade A person," Largen said. "We're able to just make hockey decisions now with Jack, which is great. To have him be back in this spot, it's a unbelievable testament of his character as a person. No matter what happens going forward, he's going to be a successful person in life."

Weiss said the experience changed him. While he was so used to running around as he took care of his business, he's now able to sit back and look at life through a different lens.

"I appreciate everything a lot more," he said. "I see things a lot of differently, it's pretty crazy."

His focus is no longer about battling cancer, but instead battling opponents on the ice. It all starts Saturday, when he and his teammates open the regular season against Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

"I'm just trying to do what I can to help the team now," Weiss said. "I'm going to try to get in the lineup and be of some use. I think I can be an impact guy and bring some leadership to the younger guys that are in here now. Hopefully we can make a run at a championship — that's what we're here working towards every day."

Contact News-Miner sports writer Brad Joyal at 459-7530. Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMSportsGuy.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team page on Facebook.
 
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Players Mentioned

Justin Woods

#8 Justin Woods

D
6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
L
Jack Weiss

#2 Jack Weiss

D
5' 11"
Senior
L

Players Mentioned

Justin Woods

#8 Justin Woods

6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
L
D
Jack Weiss

#2 Jack Weiss

5' 11"
Senior
L
D