This past August, NHL veteran Brian Boyle was tired, but as a father of two children, being tired didn’t really surprise him. It was a diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) that caught him off guard, according to a story by the Associated Press.
The New Jersey Devils hockey player has been in the NHL for 11 years. He’s no stranger to being bone tired, being slammed against the rink wall, or probably breaking a bone or two. Hockey is not a sport for the faint of heart—fans or players. CML, however, wasn’t even on his radar.
But this August felt different. He was more tired than usual. Boyle described the exhaustion as coming in waves and was sure it was due to being an active father of two children. In mid-September, his blood test that revealed he had chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a rare type of blood and bone marrow cancer. To read more about this rare cancer, click here.
At the time of his diagnosis, Boyle was set to begin training camp as a new player for the Devils. Even with his cancer diagnosis, he knew what he was going to do. He listened to his doctors. He began taking his medication to help control his CML, and prepared his heart and mind to return to the ice. It was nearly a month later when he returned to practice with his new team.
Boyle signed a $5 million contract to play for the Devils in July. Although he has returned to practice with the team, it is unknown when he will return to play during a scheduled game. At this point, he suits up fully up for each Devils’ game and is a true inspiration for his team. Right now, the Devils have a 9-3 record for the season, so Boyle must be doing something truly heavenly.
