Athletes are brought up on the notion that one day they will have to stop playing their sport.  However, very few truly understand the feeling of having their athletic performance come to a screeching halt as Jacob Leguerrier experienced.  Leguerrier’s unwavering resilience though has allowed him to turn his myocarditis diagnosis into a new journey as he works through school, operates a business he founded called Heartline Apparel, while working his way back to the ice once again.

Growing up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, hockey was always going to be in the cards for Leguerrier, who from a young age enjoyed watching his older brother hit the ice.  He balanced playing hockey with lacrosse during the offseason and developed into an elite player throughout his minor hockey.  Despite suffering a ruptured spleen and kidney in his OHL draft year, Leguerrier was selected in the 8^th round, 150^th overall by the Soo Greyhounds in the 2016 OHL draft and would go on to make the team out of Training Camp at the ripe age of 16.

While in the Soo, Leguerrier showcased his on-ice talent highlighted by his speed.  He was part of the Greyhounds team that set a new franchise record with 14 consecutive wins in 2017. This was just one of the many events that contributed to a memorable experience while playing for the Soo that Leguerrier holds close to him today.

“At first I didn’t even know where the Soo was, but it ended up being probably the most fun I will ever have in my life,” Leguerrier reflected. “It’s a small town, and we hung out together a lot which made us a better team.  All the guys were really close.”

Leguerrier was selected in the fifth round, 126^th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, which sat well with his Dad who has been a lifelong Canadiens supporter. Despite his success, Leguerrier and many others were hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic which left the hockey season in a state of uncertainty.  In the case of Leguerrier, his fourth and final season with the Greyhounds was cut short in March 2020.  The following season he was limited to four games with the Canadiens’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket which Leguerrier explains was a difficult experience, but also one that pushed him further.

“I wasn’t quite ready for professional hockey.  I think I would have benefited from my overage year in the OHL.  Going to Laval, we had such a deep roster that playing time was hard to get.  However, it was a good experience because it made me grow up faster and I was surrounded by NHL veterans.”

Leguerrier then signed with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs ahead of the 2021-22 season and spent the year bouncing between Rockford and the Indy Fuel of the ECHL.  This allowed Leguerrier to play 45 games for the Fuel plus another four games with Rockford, thus marking the first significant stretch of games that Leguerrier had been able to play in since the start of the pandemic.

Being reassigned from the AHL to the ECHL can sometimes be daunting for players, however Leguerrier saw this as an opportunity to regroup. Despite some challenges along the way such as driving 15 hours from Ottawa to Indy, just to be called up to Rockford that night and drive another 4 hours, Leguerrier never lost sight of his goals and the benefits that would come from this experience.

“I think it was really good for me to get sent to Indy and build my confidence back up.  Playing 30 minutes a night was the best outcome for me and it lit a fire under me,” Leguerrier explained.

Although it had been a turbulent path for Leguerrier, his situation was starting to look up.  Until March of 2022 when he became sick with what he believed was a common illness. He kept playing games but would develop pain on the left side of his chest which he initially speculated was muscle pain until it progressively worsened. It wasn’t until he experienced pressure in his chest and skipped heart beats that he realized there was a serious issue. After meeting with a cardiologist in Rockford, Leguerrier was diagnosed with myocarditis which is inflammation of the heart which impedes the heart’s overall function and limits peak performance, increasingly so within athletes. This condition can lead to heart failure if not addressed.  The efficiency of the heart is supposed to be around 50%-70%, however in Leguerrier’s situation his heart was functioning at 30%. At this point, hockey was not the focus.  It was merely getting back to a new normal.

“I just got to the point with the symptoms that I didn’t care if I played hockey again.  I just didn’t want to feel this way anymore.”

The initial recovery time is three to six months of rest with limited physical activity.  However, Leguerrier did not begin to see significant progress with lessened symptoms until the two-year mark. Unlike other injuries such as his ruptured spleen where the constant goal was to get back to playing, Leguerrier didn’t have the motivation to get out of bed most days due to the constant symptoms.

Fortunately, as his recovery has improved to the point where he is now close to the condition he was in before his diagnosis, Leguerrier reflects on the mental battle and how important it is to stay progressive.

“I had a lot of help from different mental health and performance coaches which helped a lot even though I didn’t always think I needed it,” Leguerrier emphasized. “You have to keep moving forward even if it’s just little steps every day.  I put my life on hold mentally for months which turned into two years, but that constant motion helped the most.”

In 2023, Leguerrier decided to foster his love for clothing and turn it into an apparel line.  His passion project served as an escape from his condition where he could focus on his designs. He and his brother started designing logos and asking friends to gage interest on the designs which developed into a way for Leguerrier to contribute to something bigger than himself.  Thus, Heartline Apparel was born.  The company is also structured to donate 50% of all profits to cardiovascular research.

“I decided I could give back to what happened to me because my perspective was changed.  People that live with this are given a completely different life and I would say it’s not fair,” Leguerrier explained. “If this were to happen to another athlete, I would hope they could detect it sooner or prevent it.  So donating to the research towards it is important to me.”

During the first Heartline Apparel drop, the company sold over 200 pieces of clothing in a week, further affirming the confidence that Leguerrier had in the brand. This first drop allowed Heartline Apparel to donate over $2,000 toward cardiovascular research, an achievement that Leguerrier is hoping to continue to build upon moving forward. Currently, Heartline is in the middle of their second drop which is close to sold out and thus adding to the total being donated.

Moving forward, Leguerrier has his sights set on new goals for the brand which includes branching off beyond retail and working toward supplying Heartline Apparel to teams and organizations that will work in collaboration with him.

“The goal is to supply for teams while continuing to do my 50% donation.  I have already worked with a few teams to supply for their Training Camps so it’s a step in the right direction.”

Now 23 years old, Leguerrier hasn’t completely given up his on-ice hockey aspirations.  He is a member of the Varsity Men’s Hockey team at the University of Ottawa with the goal of slowly getting back to playing without symptoms. He played for the Gee Gees during the preseason and looks to progress as he prepares for a season that will see the University of Ottawa host the 2025 U Sports Men’s Hockey Cup Tournament, allowing Leguerrier to get back in front of scouts and keep pushing toward a return to professional hockey.

In the meantime, Leguerrier will continue along his hockey path while studying health sciences, a program that seems fitting for the journey he has been on.  He also plans to further develop Heartline Apparel and expand to as many teams and organizations as he can reach, with his high-quality clothing and the kind heart that is attached.