Oskar Lindblom heard the sound of his Philadelphia Flyers teammates ticking the ice with their sticks when he returned to practice and knew – after months of fear and fighting in his battle with bone cancer – he was home.
Lindblom turned 24 on Saturday, and a day later he received hours of cheering from the Flyers before they prepared for their playoff game against Montreal.
“Now I’m here, and I’m happier than ever,” Lindblom said Sunday.
A few hours later, Jakub Voracek scored his first goal of the postseason, and Carter Hart made 23 saves en route to a shutout, when the Flyers defeated the Canadiens 1-0 to take a 2-1 series in the Eastern Round first round.
“It was great to have Oskar back with us today, and we’re really looking forward to having him with us soon (on the ice),” Hart said in his postgame availability. “I think that provided a little sparkle.”
A resident of Gavle, Sweden, Lindblom was away after a career season when he was diagnosed in December with Ewing’s sarcoma, a tumor that grows in the bones or in the tissue around bones. He completed radiation treatments July 2 and weeks later signed a $ 9 million, three-year contract extension.
Lindblom said there was no timetable for a potential return to the lineup – the NHL hiatus during the pandemic is the only reason a return this season was possible – and he did not intend to return.
“I just feel like I have to be strong enough to put myself in a situation where I’m good enough to play,” he said. “I do not want to be there if I will not help the team or put myself in a tough place. As long as I feel good, and my body is strong enough, I think I will put myself out there. Otherwise I will continue to train and myself cooperate again. “
Lindblom had 11 goals and 18 points in 30 games this season and proved an important part in the early days of the Flyers’ relegation as they earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference after the NHL relegation. . Lindblom is a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually by the NHL to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game.
“I think he was really nervous, really excited to be back with the group,” Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said before Game 3. “The group was apparently ecstatic to have him back, even though it was just a morning skate. He is a great young man, beautiful smile, happy to have him around. “
Vigneault said Lindblom wants to play and that as long as the Flyers continue to win, there is a chance of a comeback.
Lindblom had to be discharged from the Abramson Cancer Center in Pennsylvania Hospital on July 2, indicating that he had completed his radiation treatments. Lindblom, his girlfriend and the nurses, all in masks, posed for photos, and he presented the staff with his autographed no. 23-sweater. The Flyers wore #OskarStrong shirts under their jerseys this season, and fans brought signs of support to games at the Wells Fargo Center.
“It’s all been,” he said. “They talk to me like I’m still on the team, even when I’m not. Those difficult weeks when I feel so bad and try to think about life, they call me or text me and help me have more energy. It helps me through the whole process. “
He spent time with his girlfriend and family in Sweden, and spent time in the required quarantine period after traveling to Toronto, where the NHL spent the season. It was Lindblom’s girlfriend, Alma Lindqvist, who encouraged him to get uncomfortable in his rib cage. He thought it was just a hockey injury – but months later he is a cancer survivor. And he’s back on the ice with a team that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
“Being with the boys is the best thing. I feel great,” Lindblom said.
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