He was an idol to many, more known for his famous nickname “Cujo” than his actual name. Curtis Joseph played 19 successful seasons in the NHL — winning a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. He has the most career wins (454) of any NHL goalie in history to never have been on a Stanley Cup-winning team, and is the first goalie to ever have 30 or more wins in a regular season for five different teams. With his success as a pro, he’s had to endure his fair share of injuries. I mean, spending the first half of your life as a target to flying rubber traveling up to 100mph is going to leave its fair share of marks.
Now the guy so many Canadians idolized growing up is taking his career bumps and bruises and talking to “everyday athletes” and “weekend warriors” about the importance of taking care of your body and preventing injuries. Cujo’s teamed up with Voltaren Emulgel, his longtime trainer friend Chris Broadhurst, and Trevor Linden to offer tips and solutions to every athlete on the importance of warming up, stretching, hydrating, and taking care of injuries from their earliest signs.
Injury prevention is an important topic… at every level. NHL Players often suit up and hit the ice to play through the pain, battling pressure placed on them from management and coaching staff. “Everybody is worried about losing their job, there’s always someone younger and faster who’s coming up behind you” says Cujo. And, with glorified statistics such as the “Iron Man Streak” the pressure for professional players is always on. Of course, the obvious issue when pros ignore their injuries and play through the pain is delayed on-set injuries.The same can be said for the everyday athelete.
These days Cujo is adamant about passing along the lessons he learned throughout his pro career to amateur athletes. It’s common for guys to forget to warm up, get enough fluids in their body and ignore the little aches and pains. “I pulled my shoulder one time during a back swing in a casual round of golf” Cujo said. A pulled muscle is something any guy can relate to and a reminder of how we need to mindful of our bodies. Those most at risk? The guys who are out there casually swinging the tennis racket in the park, hitting balls at the range, or playing beer league softball games forgetting they’re not the agile teenage athlete they once were. These are the guys that most in danger of hurting themselves.
Amateur and professional athletes are dealing with bruises, strains, bad knees, sore shoulders, and bad backs. For Cujo it’s his rotator cuffs and ankles. To avoid injury he insists that “it’s very important to stay hydrated, and to make sure you get the inflammation down at the first signs of pain.”
Cujo’s message is simple. Stay hydrated, stretch, use common sense and know when it’s time to sit out and take a rest. Solid advice coming from the guy who had to face the hardest shooters in the NHL on a nightly basis.
You can catch Cujo speaking at “the ultimate” pick-up hockey game at the MasterCard Centre with Trevor Linden on Thursday June 19th where they’ll be showing fans a few tricks, signing some sticks and talking hockey.
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Cujo and Linden are gearing up for the ultimate game of pick-up hockey in Toronto on Thursday June 19, 2014 – and are calling on Canadian everyday athletes to join their teams! Canadians can visit www.stayintheplay.com to determine eligibility and enter for a chance to skate with the former pros, run pro-level drills, sharpen their game and be coached by hockey legends.
