Older Sister Mandi Schwartz Was A Star Player At Yale University
Of the lowest possible low, Seattle Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz says simply, "It's painful." Of the highest possible high, Schwartz says, "There's nothing like it."
In neither case was Jaden Schwartz talking about hockey.
Like so many in Canada, the Schwartzs of Wilcox, Saskatchewan were a hockey-playing family.
That included Jaden's older sister, Mandi. She captained the women's high school team at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox. Mandi led the Hounds to three provincial and Western Canada championships.
"She loved hockey, she was very passionate," Jaden Schwartz said in a Sportsnet TV interview. "Me and my brother (Ryland) learned a lot from her. Her dedication, her hard work. She was such an inspirational person."
Yale University took note with a scholarship offer. Mandi had played 73 consecutive games over 2 1/2 years for the Bulldogs' women's team, when she noticed her endurance strangely ebbing.
Mandi Schwartz was diagnosed with leukemia in December, 2008, ending her hockey career. The rare bone marrow cancer ended her life on April 3, 2011, at the age of 23.
"I think about her every day," Jaden Schwartz said. "She's always in our minds. We miss her dearly, but she's certainly not forgotten."
That's for sure. From their family tragedy have come life-affirming memorials. At Athol Murray, the Mandi Schwartz Bursary "is awarded annually to a student who: has been accepted to attend AMCND, has an 80% academic average and displays financial need. Preference is given to a student playing hockey at AMCND."
The school also sponsors the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament, billed as the largest female under-18 hockey tournament in Western Canada. The 2023 tourney kicks off December 7.
At Yale, "The Mandi Schwartz Marrow Donor Registration Drive offers multiple ways for people to register for the chance to become a life-saving marrow donor."
According to a University press release, "The Yale athletic department has held drives each of the past 14 springs – ever since Mandi was first diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in December of 2008. Yale's record-setting drives have added 8,877 potential donors to the Be The Match Registry®, and 90 life-saving donor matches for patients in need have been located through the Bulldogs' efforts."
Jaden Schwartz has seen it for himself. "I've had the opportunity to meet people who have found a perfect match, and ended up surviving, beating cancer that way.
"When you see something like that, there's nothing like it. You meet two people, where one person save the other person's life. So she's continuing to be around, and be an angel for a lot of people."
Schwartz pays a personal tribute to his older sister every time he pulls on number 17, the same number she wore.
"Just trying to honor her in any way I can. She always wore 17. Vlad Sobatka was wearing it when I first got to St. Louis. He left (for the KHL), and right away I wanted to jump on that opportunity. I'm grateful to wear her number, and live our dream that we had as young kids."
