Hockey Fights Cancer

Every year since 1998, all 30 National Hockey League (NHL) teams, players, management and fans have joined together with the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) to help raise awareness and funds for hockey’s most important fight. They host the Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month one month out of each season. During the 2008-09 seasons, every NHL organization hosted a Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night where cancer patients from the area were given the opportunity to watch games from player suites, along with a chance to partake in player meet and greets and much more. (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=384306)
According to an October 1st, 2008 NHL.com News article, “Members of the hockey family, including NHL coaches, broadcasters and team personnel, will wear a commemorative Hockey Fights Cancer tie at games in October. The lavender tie features blue and pink stripes and an embroidered Hockey Fights Cancer logo. Also, in support of this initiative, all NHL players will wear a Hockey Fights Cancer decal on their helmets during all regular-season games in October.” Also during the month of October, the NHL along with some individual NHL teams will sell merchandise with the Hockey Fights Cancer logo embroidered on it, with part of the proceeds benefitting Hockey Fights Cancer. (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=384306)
Bernadette Mansur, Executive Director of the NHL Foundation, had this to say in an October 1st, 2008 NHL.com News article: “Last year we passed the $10-million milestone for money raised for cancer research through Hockey Fights Cancer.”
Some organizations and even individual players, such as John Cullen, Mario Lemieux, Saku Koivu, Phil Kessel and now Jason Blake, came together to help fight this deadly disease.
John Cullen thought he had it rough because of all the injuries he suffered through from 1991 to 1995 but nothing could compare to his diagnosis of Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on March 27th, 1997. He knew that this challenge was going to be much greater than any he had faced so far in his hockey career. (http://mysite.verizon.net/creasemonkeyhockey/players/jcullen.html) Cullen had this to say in a March 4th, 2008 YouTube video, “It’s a tough thing to go through and people need hope, people need faith.” He then went on to add, “I had to work for every inch of ice and I think that’s the way I had to battle cancer too. I had to compete.” However, Cullen felt that his battling helped others who were battling the demons of cancer themselves. According to Cullen in a March 4th, 2008 YouTube video, “They see what I went through and got back to professional level. People must see that and be like ‘Hey. I can do that too.’
Saku Koivu was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on September 5th, 2001. (http://www.habsworld.net/SakuKoivu_02.php) He then, according to an October 18th, 2007 YouTube video, “battled through eight intense months of chemotherapy.” Through all this, Koivu kept a positive attitude and in a YouTube video published on October 18th, 2007 said, “I know that I will win this fight and I’ll be back on the ice before you even know it.” He held true on that promise and despite many doubters was back on the ice on April 8th, 2002 just in time to help the Canadiens make it to the second round of the 2002 playoffs before being ousted by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. (http://www.habsworld.net/SakuKoivu_02.php)
To help benefit Hockey Fights Cancer, the Montreal Canadiens, in conjunction with the “Jason Fund”, a foundation formed in memory of 18 year old Jason Gomez who died of stomach cancer in 2006, offered a select few adults who are battling cancer the chance to attend a Canadiens practice, followed by lunch with Canadiens players Saku Koivu and Georges Laraque,” said Kristin Falcao, a reporter for CBC News. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpnbvgbA8as&feature=related) Koivu had this to say to those people who were battling cancer themselves, “The message I guess I’m trying to get across is you got to fight, you got to stay positive. There’s some tough days. There’s no doubt about that but when you have friends-close ones with you- you can do it and I did it and there’s no reason why they can’t do it.” He also established the Koivu Foundation. According to an October 18th, 2007 YouTube video, “Koivu is the cornerstone, remains the cornerstone of the franchise and he is cancer free.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQB4P14GT4Q)
Other cancer survivors, some who are still playing in the NHL, include Bruins center Phil Kessel and former Penguin captain Mario Lemieux. Mario Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease in 1993 and now, more than eight years after he was announced cured, established the Mario Lemieux Foundation to help support cancer research in the hopes of finding a cure for this deadly disease. (http://www.mariolemieux.org/medical/childrens.htm)
Meanwhile, Phil Kessel was diagnosed with testicular cancer during his rookie season in December of 2006 and underwent surgery. (http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2006/12/12/medical_issue_for_kessel/) When asked in an October 18th, 2007 YouTube video about how his experience with cancer has changed him as a person, Kessel had this to say. “I think it made me stronger as an individual going through something like that. It’s tough. You just got to stay positive all the time and think you’re going to get better.” In that same video published on October 18th, 2007 Kessel also said that, “Fighting cancer is a big motivation throughout my career and throughout my life. I’m going to spread the message that cancer’s beatable and a lot of people beat it in the world now today.”