After news broke last week that Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma, love has poured in for the young player from across the NHL — and the world.
Sweden-native Lindblom, 23, paid a visit to his teammates before Tuesday’s game at the Flyers’ own Wells Fargo Center, and fans and teammates alike made sure to let him know that he has their full support. The team even dedicated their 4 to 1 win over the Anaheim Ducks to Lindblom.
Read More“[Tuesday] morning was really the first time we spent time with him since we heard what was really going on,” team captain Claude Giroux told The Inquirer. “His attitude is unbelievable. … We wanted to get this win for him. Every win for the rest of the season is going to be for him.”
Before the game, Lindblom’s teammates also warmed up in purple — the same color the team dons for Hockey Fights Cancer night. A picture of Lindblom in his own Hockey Fights Cancer purple made the rounds on the internet after the Flyers announced Lindblom had been diagnosed, though many fans — and the Flyers’ own social media accounts — amended the picture of the young hockey star to include a hashtag created in his honor, #OskarStrong.
During the first period of Tuesday’s game, the arena played a tribute to Lindblom, and fans were asked to hold up their “I fight for Oskar,” signs to show support. Heartwarming images were captured of everyone in the entire stadium on their feet, sending their love and prayers. The Flyers also set up two huge billboards and let fans write their well-wishes for Lindblom on them.
Flyers Charities also set up a table, selling purple shirts with “#OskarStrong” written across them, with all proceeds going to Ewing’s sarcoma research at the Sarcoma Foundation of America. The shirts sold out before the second period, The Inquirer reported.
All proceeds will be donated to benefit the research of @CureSarcoma. #OskarStrong https://t.co/Pj17IB5NQm pic.twitter.com/f34JdJHUgB
Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) December 18, 2019
The immense show of support for Lindblom is no surprise. Before his diagnosis, the breakout young player was tied as team lead for goals with 11 in 30 games, according to CBS Philly. He also had seven assists. The team’s Friday announcement that one of their stars had been diagnosed with cancer, naturally, came as quite a shock.
"Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom has been diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma by leading specialists at the University of Pennsylvania," the team said in its announcement. "He will undergo further testing and evaluation next week and begin treatment immediately thereafter. He is not expected to return to play for the remainder of the season."
Ewing's sarcoma is a cancer that grows in the bone or soft tissue, and can develop in the bones in many different parts of the body. It's most common in adolescents and young adults, from teen years to the mid-20s, according to the National Cancer Institute. The Flyers did not announce what stage Lindblom’s cancer was diagnosed at, and how he will be treated seems to be still in question.
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