from Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic,

Domi is a Type I diabetic and whether he’s in the midst of a workout, practice or a game, he excuses himself every 15 to 20 minutes to check his blood-sugar level. If it’s low, he takes a swig of Gatorade. If it’s high, he lets the insulin pack that’s strapped to his hip do the work.

“It’s a lifestyle change,” Domi said. “Now I have to incorporate diabetes into it. Your diet, before you go to bed, you have to know how you’re feeling. It’s every little detail of your day that you don’t realize until it hits you.”

Domi discovered he had diabetes five years ago when he was traveling back to Toronto from a minor-hockey league tournament in Detroit. Every five minutes, his mom, Leanne, had to stop the car to retrieve more water or Gatorade.

In less than three hours, Domi had downed approximately 9 liters.

That prompted a visit to the hospital and ultimately a diagnosis of Type I diabetes.

“I had no clue what that meant,” said Domi, whose chief concern was whether or not he’d still be able to play hockey.

Once he was told he could, Domi accepted the challenge. He spent the next week at the hospital learning about the chronic condition, which limits or prevents the production of insulin in the body. According to the World Health Organization, 347 million people worldwide have diabetes.

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