Flyers’ Oskar Lindblom Returns to the Ice: “That’s The Only Thing I’m Waiting For Right Now, To Be Done With My Chemo And Be Back With The Team And Play Some Hockey”

Posted on June 23, 2020 by
Screen Shot 2020-06-23 at 8.43.52 PMPhotos: @NHLFlyers

It was a happy and heartwarming sight at Virtua Center Flyers SkateZone, the Philadelphia Flyers‘ training facility, in Voorhees, New Jersey, on Tuesday as forward Oskar Lindblom returned to the ice and skated with teammates six months after he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare blood cancer. 

The 23-year-old Swede took part in the NHL’s Phase 2 of the Return to Play Plan, which allowed training facilities to open for voluntary workouts with a maximum of six players for all 24 teams in the extended playoff format. Lindblom is still receiving treatments at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

In an interview after skating, Lindblom said, “That’s the only thing I’m waiting for right now, to be done with my chemo and be back with the team and play some hockey. That would be unreal to get back to real life again, and have fun.”

The Flyers winger picked up 18 points (11 goals) in 30 games prior to his diagnosis in December. The team announced he would miss the rest of the 2019-20 season and will not be able to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs now that the league is getting back into action this summer.

“It is remarkable to think that with all the treatments that he has had he was able to go out there today and still show the skill and still have the stamina to skate for about 35-40 minutes,”  Flyers’ general manager Chuck Fletcher said in a statement.

Lindblom mentioned his treatments are “going great” and he does not have many left. “I’ll have it done soon. I can see the light in the tunnel right now, and I’m trying to enjoy my life after this. I can’t complain. People have it worse, and I’m happy to be where I am right now.”

Earlier this month, Lindblom was the Flyers’ nominee for this season’s Masterton Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.” The winner will be announced this summer.

By Della Young

About Della Young

Della Young is a fiction writer based out of the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. area and an online student attending Full Sail University. She got her start in the entertainment industry at age seven as an actress. At the young age of nine, Della wrote a psychological thriller short story that sparked her interest in creative writing. She comes from a family of big Capitals fans and became inspired to start writing for sports. In her spare time, Della enjoys photography, traveling, and working on both sides of the camera. Follow Della on Twitter: @dellayoung
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