Photo credit: Tyler Spurgeon Twitter

By Regan Bartel

Former Rocket managing his health

Spurgeon is last man standing

Aug 22, 2022 | 12:31 PM

And then there was one.

Tyler Spurgeon is the only member of the 2004 Memorial Cup champion Kelowna Rockets who is still playing pro hockey.

Now 36, the Edmonton product has been plying his trade in Europe for over 12 years now.

With Blake Comeau likely forced to retire after 909 games at the NHL level, Spurgeon is the only one still suiting up and earning a paycheck with ESV Kaufbeuren, a team based in Kaufbeuren, Germany. They currently play in DEL2, the second level of ice hockey in Germany.

Both Spurgeon and Comeau were 17-year-old sophomores when the Rockets won junior hockey’s holy grail with a 2-1 win over the Quebec Junior Hockey League champion Gatineau Olympiques.

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Ex-teammate Shea Weber, was forced to miss the 2021-2022 season with the Montreal Canadiens with foot and ankle injuries, but Spurgeon’s body hasn’t quit on him yet. But his time at the Rockets wasn’t injury-free.

The Edmonton born product spent more time injured than on the ice. In four full seasons in the WHL, Spurgeon was only able to dress in all 72 regular season games once. A first round WHL bantam pick in 2001, Spurgeon showed grit and determination in the 2005 playoffs, when he suited up despite dealing with a separated shoulder.

“The body is feeling really good. I’ve gotten a really good idea of what my body needs to be healthy over my career which has helped with longevity,” Spurgeon told RocketFAN. “Having the injuries early on made it very important for me to learn my body and really pay attention to that side of the preparation for each season. After having a knack of being injury prone early in my career I took it as a challenge to do my best to swing that narrative. Eating well, training smart and having a positive mind set has supported that goal.”

Spurgeon has had to deal with several obstacles to feel healthy enough to compete at the elite level. It included being diagnosed with Celiac Disease when he was 24.

“I was quite sick over a six-week span and spent time in the hospital twice,” he explained. “It was like my body was quitting on me. I was losing weight and living with constant flu like symptoms. It was at that time my sister, a nurse, had started to hear about Celiac Disease and asked the doctors to test me for it. I received the blood test first that showed indicators and then eventually had a stomach biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.”

For years, Spurgeon struggled with stomach problems, fatigue and frequent vomiting. It worsened when he consumed large amounts of high gluten like pasta and bread for energy before games.

“Since learning of this and changing my diet, which is the only way to combat the disease currently, things have gotten much better. It wasn’t an automatic change as there were years of damage to heal. But over time my health and energy levels began to bounce back to a point now where I am feeling very good.”

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