Blackhawks lose key player to health condition caused by equipment

Veteran Chicago Blackhawks player Marian Hossa announced that he will not return for the 2017-2018 season because of a “progressive skin disorder” and the severe side effects from the drugs used to treat it.

Marian Hossa has been with the Blackhawks since 2009 and has been key player in helping the team win their last three Stanley Cups.

In a statement he released, Hossa says, “While I am disappointed that I will not be able to play, I have to consider the severity of my condition and how the treatments have impacted my life both on and off the ice.”

This progressive skin disorder – which hasn’t been identified –  has been attributed to his hockey equipment, causing him to have a severe allergic reaction.

Dr. Philip Skiba, director of sports medicine at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill., says athletes deal with all kinds of common skin conditions. Locker rooms and equipment are not, after all, the epitome of cleanliness.

While cautioning that he is not Hossa’s treating physician and is speculating since Hossa has not disclosed his condition, Dr. Skiba says, “Since Hossa said he has a progress skin disorder, it could indicate it possibly being scleroderma or psoriasis. In these conditions, essentially the immune system is attacking the skin and the organs in slightly different ways. The medications typically used to treat those are challenging to deal with. I could believe that being on medication like that he would have a hard time playing hockey.”

While it remains to be seen if Hossa will return at all for the rest of his four year contract with the Blackhawks, he will continue to fight this health condition off the ice.