There’s some positive sports news out of Philadelphia amidst a very dark time.
According to a report by Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, 23-year-old Philadelphia Flyers’ forward Oskar Lindblom is making progress in his battle against a rare bone cancer and will soon be undergoing his final cancer treatments.
Flyers assistant general manager Brett Flahr provided Carchidi with some very uplifting quotes about Lindblom’s progress and how the worst is now over for the young forward.
“Oskar’s going through his last treatments coming up here, but everything I’ve been told from Jimmy [McCrossin, the team’s trainer] has been very positive,” Flyers assistant general manager Brett Flahr said Monday night. “He feels great, considering the condition he’s in. He’s such a great kid and he’s determined. His focus is to play as soon as possible.”
“For all the stuff this guy has been through, he looks terrific,” Flahr said. “The last time I saw him, he looked good. He had that smile on his face. He’s doing things like cardio [workouts] to keep up his strength as much as he can. I think as soon as he gets his last treatments, the worst is over for him.”
While Carchidi reports it’s unknown if Lindblom will be able to play next season, this is certainly promising news. The hockey community has been rallying behind the young Swede ever since the Flyers announced Lindblom had been diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma back in December. At the time of the diagnosis, Lindblom was enjoying a breakout season with 11 goals and 18 points in his first 30 games of the season. His last NHL outing was an early-December game against Ottawa.
What makes Lindblom such an easy player to root for is the very positive attitude he’s kept through this entire process. The left-winger has consistently been supporting his teammates from the sidelines and participates in team events when possible. The massive ovation he got from the fans and players at the Wells Fargo Center back in January shows just how much he means to this team and the city.
Oskar Lindblom gets a standing ovation at the Wells Fargo Center pic.twitter.com/oAqThEVvs2
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) January 12, 2020
Lindblom also brought his smile when he joined the Flyers for their team photo back in March. Despite losing his blond hair while battling the cancer, Lindblom still bravely and eagerly participated in the photo session with his teammates.
The hockey world is rooting for Lindblom to become cancer free, and seeing the young forward return to the ice at some point would be nothing short of incredible.
