It’s hard not to be charmed by the boyish grin, mischievous eyes, and easy-going attitude of Marc-André Element. His happy-go-lucky demeanour was infectious as he flumped down in a chair and sprawled his limbs out, a goofy smile on his face. But beneath the charismatic persona of the 25-year old captain is a small-town guy that has courageously battled through near-blindness, recurring shoulder surgeries, and the obstacles of life in a big city.
Element is originally from Cadillac, a small village more than six hours away from Montreal in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
“It was a bit of a culture shock when I moved to Montreal at 18,” he said. “I’m from a village of about 1,500 people. It’s different here.”
He first moved away from home at the age of 16 to pursue hockey opportunities closer to big towns like Longueuil. While hockey was his main priority when he was a teenager, his focus changed as he grew older.
“When you’re 17, 18, hockey is your life,” he said, “But I knew I wanted my degree. I just needed something to fall back on.”
Despite knowing only a few words in English and “understanding even less of it,” Element decided to go to Concordia to improve his limited knowledge of the language.
“I was so lost my first semester,” he admitted, “I didn’t understand anything. But a lot of people helped me out, I worked hard at it, and I got better.”
“You can have anything you want in life if you’re willing to work for it. I really believe in that. Whether it was hockey or school or work, I always threw 150 per cent of my efforts into it. That’s just who I am,” he said.
That fire and determination has fuelled Element for most of his life, and helped him overcome obstacles that most people would have given up on8212;obstacles that almost ended his hockey career.
When he was just 11 years old, he started getting a sharp pain in his left eye, above his eyebrow.
“I’d always squint a lot in class and I thought it might be because of that,” he explained, “but this felt different.”
Soon after the pain started, vision in his left eye blurred and then was lost completely. Doctors decided to operate, and when they removed his left eye, they discovered that a parasite from animal fur had been eating away at his optic nerve. It was too late to try and save his left side, but thankfully the doctors caught the parasite before it affected his right eye.
“I’m lucky,” he said, “I could have gone completely blind.”
Doctors gave Element a new eye from a donor and while vision isn’t great on his left side, he adjusts as necessary.
“When I’m playing hockey, I just have to look over my shoulder a bit more,” he shrugged, “My peripheral vision isn’t great, I see mostly shadows out of my left eye, so a lot of the time I won’t see guys coming on that side.”
A serious eye injury isn’t the only thing that has made Element’s hockey career difficult. He has also had two surgeries on the same shoulder to tighten the ligaments, in hopes of preventing a recurring problem.
“It got to a point last year where my shoulder would dislocate three, four times per game,” he said. It took him all summer to rehab, and while the shoulder does still hurt him sometimes, he hopes the effects of the surgery will stick.
When he’s not crushing opponents on the ice, Element almost never has a spare moment between school and work.
A human relations student, he also works for the Montreal Canadiens as a coordinator for the visiting team.
“Whatever they need, I have to find a way to get it for them,” he chuckled as he described his job at the Bell Centre8212;a job that includes anything from ordering food for the visiting team to throwing gear in equipment bags to ensure their quick and swift departure. If that wasn’t enough, Element works in the equipment testing department at the Reebok headquarters, too.
“I have to be busy,” he laughed, “I can’t sit still. It drives me nuts.”
The trick, he said, is all about time-management.
“I just plan everything and set up a routine,” he explained.
The routine is working for him. He has been a member of the Stingers for four years, and was nominated captain by his teammates this year.
“It’s a big honour,” he said, “I’m proud of it.”
His reputation amongst his teammates and coach is that of a hard-working, tireless, fearless leader who will stop at nothing to help his team.
“Every once in awhile, a guy will walk in and you can tell right from the get-go that he’s something special,” head coach Kevin Figsby said. Figsby has been coaching Element for four years and marvelled at his progress.
“His leadership, his character, it’s just been amazing to watch him grow as a person and as a player,” he said, “I could not be more proud of him.”
And there’s reason to be proud. When Element isn’t playing for the Stingers, helping pros test equipment for Reebok, or running around the Bell Centre at warp speed, he organizes charitable events like volleyball tournaments and fundraisers to benefit the Heart & Stroke Foundation as well as numerous foundations for cancer.
“I just want to help any way I can,” he explained, “If there’s something I can do to help someone else, I’m going to do it.”
Element’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Last May, he was awarded the Guy Lafleur bursary for athletic achievement, academic excellence, exceptional leadership and devotion to community service.
His relaxed smile and calm demeanour do a good job of hiding the fiercely competitive, driven and fearless character8212;the captain, the leader8212;that most of his teammates know him as. Underneath it all is a guy with a passion for the game, a need to succeed, and a heart far bigger than the small town where he’s from.
Fun Facts
Favourite colour:
Blue
Favourite number:
15 (it’s always been his jersey number)
Favourite Food:
Wild game
Favourite Player:
Mario Lemieux
Favourite music:
Anything from Quebec
