Taylor Shire
Regina Leader-Post
Connor Bear knew something was wrong.
While practising with the Regina Pats back in September following the team’s third game of the WHL season, the 18-year-old forward noticed something in his chest didn’t feel right.
Given his family history — his older brother Carter collapsed and died four years ago while playing hockey on an outdoor rink — Connor took no chances and rushed to get checked out.
“I was just skating on the ice and I felt my heart beat in my chest more than I (normally) would,” said Bear, who grew up on Ochapowace Nation, two hours East of Regina. “It was repetitive and kind of a tight feeling in my chest.
“So I got off the ice and walked back to our trainer’s room and (athletic therapist Cole Stevens) put one of those heart monitor things on my finger, and it said that my heart rate was 165 when I was just sitting there.”
Knowing that his brother had a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which was revealed after his death, Connor headed to the hospital for further evaluation.
Initial tests showed that Connor didn’t have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but instead had a strain of COVID-19 which was affecting his heart.
He isolated at Regina General Hospital for a week while doctors did further tests to rule out any other conditions.
“All the tests came back clear, especially the most important one, which was the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy test,” said Bear. “And then once I got out, the doctor kind of just told me I have to be out for a month just to let my heart heal.”
Bear, who is in his second full season with the Pats after being acquired from the Calgary Hitmen last year, couldn’t skate or workout for a month.
In November, after the recovery period, Bear went back to see a cardiologist for more testing.
“He said I’m good to go; I can start skating and working out, but I have to go through levels to get to back to where I am now,” said the 5-foot-9, 165-pounder. “We got a heart monitor that I put on my forearm that tracks my heart rate.”
Bear was allowed to return to the ice but had to do so in intervals. In the first week, he could get his heart rate to 100 and by the second week, he could increase it to 120.
By week three, it was 145 before week four allowed him to reach 170.
“Once week five was kind of coming to an end, I could go full exertion,” said Bear, who went with the Pats during their November two-week U.S. road trip.
After suffering no setbacks, Bear returned to Regina’s lineup on Dec. 5.
“(It was) a long process and lots of ups and downs, for sure,” he said. “I feel really good to be back and I feel a lot better than I was before.
“The last couple games, I think I’ve been doing good and helping the team out. I’m just relieved that I’m over that situation and back with the team again.
“Being out for the past few months, obviously I’m going to be out of shape, so I get the odd burning sensation in my chest but other than that, from talking to my doctors and my trainer, he says that’s normal,” continued Bear. “(But they said) if you feel anything else, get off the ice or let them know.
“I’m definitely being more cautious about what I feel about in my chest or my heart rate.
“But having the support I have definitely helped. And just glad to be back.”
Brother’s passing
Connor’s brother Carter, who attended high school in Whitewood and played for the local under-18 hockey team, died when he was just 17 years old while playing hockey with some friends on the outdoor rink in Moosomin on Dec. 20, 2021.
He collapsed and was rushed to hospital but by then, it was too late.
“Once it happened, we all drove over to the Moosomin Hospital and saw him,” said Connor. “It was kind of sudden. He didn’t last very long after he collapsed from what they said.”
Connor, who was playing for a RINK Hockey Academy under-15 team in Winnipeg that season, was home for Christmas when his brother passed and almost went to the outdoor rink with him that December night.
“The night he passed, I was going to go with but he was going with his buddies and he didn’t want to drag me along,” he recalled. “I went and stayed at my other brother’s house.
“Sometimes I think about it, if I would have went, I could have been with him. But then sometimes I think maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t go; seeing my brother collapse would be a big toll on me.”
Connor said his brother wasn’t aware of any pre-existing heart condition but noted that there was an incident a couple days prior which was brushed off.
“He did play in a hockey game a few days before and he said he kind of like blacked out and just kind of felt weird,” said Connor. “At the moment, they didn’t think it was anything, but I guess we were wrong.”
Aware of his brother’s heart condition, Connor knew not to take any chances when it came to his own body during that practice back in September.
“When it comes to my heart, I kind of take it more serious,” he said. “My mom was mostly worried. She kind of raced up here just to see me and check on me.
“Once we kind of figured out it was COVID, that kind of was a big relief.”
While Connor still needs to undergo further genetic tests to confirm he doesn’t have a similar heart condition, he occasionally wears the heartbeat monitor to make sure everything’s feeling fine.
“They said it’s a good thing that I came into the hospital and got checked out because it could have gotten worse,” said Bear. “We’re kind of all being cautious about it because we don’t know where it came from.
“I’m probably going to get checked out every couple months just to see how my heart’s doing.”
Moving forward
With Saturday marking the four-year anniversary of Carter’s death, Connor took a moment to reflect on his brother’s passing and how it has affected him.
“Definitely, a change in my life,” said Connor, who returned to finish out the hockey season in Winnipeg in 2021 after the funeral. “Especially being away from home, it was difficult.
“It was hard, but I guess hockey, kind of, I wouldn’t say distracted me, but gave me a sense that it’s going to be OK and he’s still going to be with me.
“Definitely had some hard times throughout the first and second year, but as we go on, it’s slowly getting better.”
Connor, also the younger brother to Cody and MacKenzie and son of Raquel and Tom, reflected on the relationship he had with his Carter and a moment the brothers shared at the funeral.
“We were close when we were younger,” said Connor. “Growing up, we definitely did everything together.
“At his casket, I kind of had a conversation with him about how I want to make him proud and whatnot.
“I definitely play for him.”
While Carter is in Connor’s thoughts on a daily basis, he always takes a moment on the bench before every hockey game to share a message with his brother.
“Before O Canada, I just have a little conversation with him,” said Connor. “It definitely helps me a lot.
“I keep it the same; just asking him for help and to protect me, that I love them and just to have a good game.”
After the Pats play their final game before the holiday break on Wednesday night at the Brandt Centre, Connor is heading back home for Christmas.
On Saturday, he will participate in the fourth annual Carter Bear Memorial Hockey Tournament in Whitewood, giving him and others in attendance another chance to reflect on the impact his brother had while keeping his memory alive.
“Being Indigenous, when someone passes away, you have something special for them for four years straight,” said Connor. “The past three years, we’ve been having a big hockey tournament back home in Whitewood for my brother.
“It’s just like a fun tournament, basically a rec. tournament, and we just have a big raffle and just some fun games, and kind of just bring everybody together for Carter.”
