Oskar Lindblom, a Philadelphia Flyers forward, was recently diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma. Ewing’s Sarcoma is a type of cancer that is formed in the bones and tissue, it is more common in males and can be treated with radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. Sometimes if the case is severe, amputation is necessary.

Oskar Lindblom is from Sweden and so far this season he has had 11 goals, 7 assists and 18 points. Lindblom averages 17:36 minutes of ice time this season, and he is the second leading scorer for the Flyers, with 11 goals. He is following Travis Konecny, a 22 year old Canadian right wing, for first place in goals for the Flyers.

In Lindblom’s career, he has had a total of 134 games played and 30 goals. He has had a remarkable season so far, scoring ⅓ of his career goals this season. Lindblom has been playing for the Flyers since he started in the NHL in the 2017-18 season. His absence for the rest of the season will greatly affect the Philadelphia Flyers. He is a powerhouse forward who isn’t afraid to take the puck to goal.

The Flyers have had a remarkable season, being ranked 12th in the league out of 31. They are set to be the wild card for the 2020 playoffs. The loss of Lindblom will be a setback for the Flyers this season, but there is hope for next season. Ewing’s Sarcoma is  such a rare cancer that there are less than 1000 cases and it only affects around 200 people per year. It is probably fair to say that Oskar was one of the first, if not the only NHL player to have this type of cancer. Though, he is not the only NHL player to be diagnosed with cancer.

In 2017, New Jersey Devils player, Brain Boyle, was diagnosed with leukemia and in 1993, Mario Lemieux, a Pittsburgh Penguins player was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Both of those players continued to play and Philly is hoping for the same for Lindblom. The Flyers announced a statement saying, “The Flyers will do everything possible to support Oscar and assist him in securing the best care available”.