Like the rest of his new teammates with the Devils, Brian Boyle underwent an extensive physical at the start of training camp last week. However, unlike the other players, Boyle was not cleared to practice or play immediately. On Tuesday, Boyle and the team explained why the veteran center has been skating on his own the past five days.
A blood test confirmed that Boyle has Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), a rare cancer of the bone marrow.
Though team internist Dr. Michael Farber told reporters that the cancer is treatable with medication and that the cancer was detected early, he would not commit to a specific timetable in regards to treatment and Boyle's return to the team. Boyle, though, certainly has more specific ideas.
"I'm looking forward to getting on the ice and playing, to be honest with you," Boyle said on a conference call with the media. "When that happens I don't know, but my mindset is October 7th (opening night). I don't like missing games. It's just something we have to deal with, so hopefully the season can go on as normal and as regular as possible. I want to help the Devils win some hockey games."
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The 32-year-old Boyle, who is a devout Catholic, said Tuesday that "prayers can move mountains" in asking for well-wishers to keep him and his family in their thoughts and prayers. When Boyle was a teenager, his father was diagnosed with a much-more aggressive form of cancer and given only a few months to live. After a retreat with Boyle's uncle and family friend, Boyle's father was declared cancer free -- a miracle that the hulking center attributes to the power of prayer.
Not surprisingly, Boyle has been a major player in the NHL's yearly Hockey Fights Cancer campaign.
"This is an opportunity for me," explained Boyle. "Things happen in life. You can call them setbacks, but things happen. You get blessings, but then there are things you deal with. This is just a thing to deal with. I plan on living a normal life."
Boyle has played for the Kings, Rangers, Lightning and Maple Leafs in his career, and has always been an extremely popular teammate no matter which dressing room he's been a part of. He signed as a free agent with the Devils on July 1. Already, current and former teammates have reached out to Brian, his wife Lauren, and their two young children.
"It really is an overwhelming feeling of love right now that I can't really describe," said Boyle.
Boyle said he felt "pretty tired" before training camp and "didn't know what it was", though he wrote it off to moving his family and preparing for a new season with the Devils. The blood test showed that he had the same form of leukemia that former NHL forward Jason Blake was also diagnosed with back in 2007 when he played for the Maple Leafs. Not only did Blake beat the cancer, he played that season for Toronto and is cancer-free today.
"I feel very fortunate and blessed, and just want to get back things being normal," stated Boyle.