Oct. 29--CORAL SPRINGS -- Panthers defenseman Nick Boynton didn't know what to think when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
Doctors wanted the 19-year-old to take time off after his last season of junior hockey, but the Boston Bruins, who drafted him 21st overall the year before, wanted him on the ice.
Ten years later, Boynton has not only mastered his condition but has played 445 games in nine NHL seasons with a disease currently shared by only one other player in the league -- Dallas Stars center Toby Petersen.
With Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, the body stops producing insulin, a hormone that helps convert sugar, starches and other food into energy. About 17.9 million Americans have diabetes, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, which adds that an additional 5.7 million cases have not been diagnosed. Extended or intense exercise can induce hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which can lead to seizures, loss of consciousness or hypothermia.
Boynton, who worked with a children's diabetes hospital in Boston and continues to talk with kids and their parents about dealing with the condition, understands the value of seeing someone with diabetes succeed. At Boston's minor-league affiliate in Providence, R.I., Boynton relied heavily on a teammate who had diabetes most of his life.
"I think it would have been a lot different if I didn't have him," Boynton said. "Otherwise I was pretty much going in blind. It was nice to see somebody dealing with it and being successful."
Boynton wears an insulin pump everywhere except on the ice, checks his blood sugar 10 times a day and makes sure his teammates know what to do in case of an emergency. Even though he's had one or two scares, Boynton says he's on top of his condition.
"I should watch what I eat a little more, but I do watch my diet," he said. "I know what I'm taking in and I know how it affects me."
Boynton and Keith Ballard, friends on and off the ice, came to the Panthers in June's trade of Olli Jokinen, the franchise's all-time leader in goals, assists and points. Although the pair came to bolster the defense, Boynton and Ballard are ranked among the league's top 20 scoring defensemen.
"I don't think you'll come across a better teammate or a better team guy," Ballard said. "He sticks up for guys. I don't know how many times he's come in sticking up for me and had to get in a fight or do something."
Boynton notched his first goal of the season against the Minnesota Wild, but crashed into Ballard when coming up to defend a breakaway. The bruising, all-out style of play mirrors Boynton's personality, said coach Pete DeBoer.
"The nice thing with Nick is it's never for lack of effort or passion," he said after that game.
Adding to Boynton's intensity on the ice is his determination to keep playing through his diabetes and showing others that the diagnosis isn't the end of the world.
"It's good because it really hasn't stopped me from doing anything," he said. "You don't necessarily have to change what you're doing. You just have to learn how to live with it and adapt."
Laura Bernheim can be reached at lcbernheim@SunSentinel.com
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