Harding has MS. In the 2013-14 season, the same year a Tysabri rebound MS relapse put me in a wheelchair, Harding started missing games, apparently due to his own MS relapse. He was absent from the 2014 playoffs.
Everyone is gunning for you when you're an NHL goalie, so it's no surprise that Harding has played things close to the vest in regard to his condition and his treatment. All he's revealed in public is that he's recently changed MS drugs, and that he sees the same MS neurologist I used to go to. He gives a brief, but glowing endorsement in the following video "Becoming Wild." Harding thinks very highly of his neurologist. For several years so did I, until glaring conflicts of interest with MS drug companies became impossible for me to ignore. It wasn't just me finding it curious that pharmaceutical reps seemed to get priority over patients in the waiting room. It's a national problem. As this article shows, pharma/doctor COI is how the business of healthcare works today. Patients desperate for the drugs tolerate it. Immense financial costs aside, I was crippled by how MS drugs were prescribed. It's hard for me to maintain a happy, bright attitude about any of it, except to thank God and Dr. Burt that I'm off MS drugs now and starting to recover.
Josh Harding is a bit earlier in his disease progression than I was. Right now he appears to be one of the most positive-minded and loyal people on the planet. Shortly after his MS diagnosis, he capitalized on his celebrity and enviable financial position as a pro athlete to start the non-profit charity, Harding's Hope. The organization raises funds to help treat people with MS.
Here is what I hope: That Josh Harding and his organization become aware that MS drugs aren't the only answer. That, when drugs fail, HSCT can keep MS patients like him out of a wheelchair. And it's not some far-off science fiction future; it's happening now, based on legitimate science at some of the world's top universities. Moreover, HSCT is probably safer than many MS drugs. Harding won't find that information from his drug-prescribing anti-HSCT neurologist. But with a little research, including the links on this blog, he can find the facts. Drugs only slow the progression, but HSCT stops MS!
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WildHBcommunity: Minnesota Wild's Loyalty to Josh Harding Leading to Tough Decisions Soon
Here in the State of Hockey Josh Harding has shown his loyalty to the Minnesota Wild by re-signing here multiple time as an unrestricted free agent despite having opportunities elsewhere. Harding stated when he signed his latest three year pact he wanted to fulfill his goal of becoming the starting goaltender for this organization. It appeared that Harding was on the verge of eclipsing the incumbent starter at the position Niklas Backstrom when he signed a 3 year deal on June 19th, 2012 but his diagnosis with multiple sclerosis has changed everything.
Harding on Becoming Wild
My heart goes out to Harding who is a classic case of an athlete and person that does everything within his power to avoid making excuses or drawing attention to how unfair life can be to someone working so hand to achieve their dreams. Harding is no stranger to have his career put on hold by injury but he has always persevered and found his way back to the lineup. Its very difficult to completely understand how much determination and effort Harding has put in to earn the opportunities he has been afford only to again be facing an uncertain future here with the Wild.
Harding blew out his knee in an exhibition game causing him to miss the entire 2010-11 NHL season then returned to play in 34 games the following season as the backup to Niklas Backstrom. Harding had previously signed back to back one year deals with the club as an unrestricted free agent to attempt to prove his worth as an NHL goalie after the team drafted him 38th overall in 2002. Harding had always shown promise but a string of bad luck injuries had caused him to miss out on opportunities for steady playing time with the Wild.
When the summer of 2012 came around several goaltender hungry teams were thought to have Harding at the top of their list as an unrestricted free agent. Harding could have punched his ticket to a couple different destination including the highly rumored Toronto Maple Leafs. Harding showed his heart and mind were with the Wild when he re-signed a very cap friendly 3 year pact to stay in Minnesota.
Harding only played in 5 regular season games during the 2012-13 season due to what was ultimately identified as symptoms associated with his diagnosis of MS. Harding didnt look like he would have much of a future in hockey after missing so much of the lockout shortened season but he re-emerged after Backstrom injured himself in warmups against their first round opponents the Chicago Blackhawks. Harding was strong for the Wild in the five games he played despite the series ending in 5 games.
Harding then won the starting goaltender position to begin the 2013-14 season going 18-7-3 with a save percentage of .933 and a goals against average of 1.66 before he again was forced from the lineup and team for the rest of the season due to what has been reported as complications to his management of his illness. Just heartbreaking considering how well Harding had played during the first two months of the season he was literally carrying this team to victories.
Harding's future with the Wild is a very difficult topic to completely understand given that he has chosen to be very guarded and private with the handling of his illness. Harding has proven that he has top tender talent and that he can be the #1 goalie for this team when healthy but 2 years in a row he has been forced to take extended absences from hockey which is very tough to not worry about being a deal breaker going forward.
Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher has mentioned that because of the health ramifications with both Harding and Backstrom, he doesn't have a clear picture of what the plan for the position group will be at current. Both Harding and Backstrom are under contract for this season and it doesn't appear either will be retiring this offseason. To make matters more complicated young backstop Darcy Kuemper who has flashed potential to be a very good NHL goalie is a restricted free agent this year and is going to be signed to a one way contract.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Fletcher has to make a very tough decision very soon with regard to the future of Harding and I think it will have to come down to either he is the #1 goalie for this organization to begin the 2014-15 or his career is over here in Minnesota. The Wild can not afford to shuffle through players between the pipes like what occurred last season with Harding, Backstrom, Kuemper, John Curry, and Ilya Bryzgalov all making starts at different points of the year.
It could very well be the case that Harding is adamant about continuing his NHL career and is able to present the Wild with an action plan to keep himself in the lineup. I think we all root for Harding to overcome the odds but the harsh reality is at what cost to the team does Fletcher again roll the dice?
In Backstrom the team has a veteran netminder that has strung together a very successful career as the starter here and if he can return healthy he would be a perfect mentor for Kuemper. Harding could also serve as the backup to Kuemper or play in a time share as well next season but Fletcher has to be decisive about who stays and who goes this summer in my opinion rather than letting things linger into this fall.
Maybe Fletcher decides that trading Backstrom is the way to proceed and then it puts a ton of pressure on Harding to remain in the lineup and available should Kuemper not be up to the task as the full time NHL backstop. Not having a ton of information about whether Harding could have returned to action at the end of the season or in the playoffs makes it very difficult to understand the totality of the circumstances Fletcher is facing.
Harding certainly has earned every opportunity he has been afforded here in Minnesota, so turning out the lights on his NHL career is not something that I think anyone is looking to do right now. The handling of Harding by the organization has been very patient and classy to this point in my opinion but the time to be fair to each other should come to a head pretty soon here because this team can not afford to lose Harding for an extended stretch again and I don't believe he can guarantee to the team or even himself that his illness can be managed without absence over the 82 games NHL schedule and playoffs there after.
Harding could be bought out of his contract or he could be placed on the injured reserve as options should he not be in the teams plans for next season. The latest word has them expecting that he reports to training camp but I am not sure how much of that is truth or posturing. Fletcher will have to show his hand eventually and that could come as soon as the June 27th-28th NHL draft. Stay Tuned!
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