Lindblom of Flyers completes cancer treatments

Oskar Lindblom of the Philadelphia Flyers completed his treatments for a form of bone cancer Thursday.

The 23-year-old forward rang a ceremonial bell at Abramson Cancer Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to signify the end of his treatments for Ewing's sarcoma.

"I can't even explain how I feel," Lindblom said. "Feels like having my birthday, Christmas and all those holidays at the same time. Feels awesome to be done. Can't wait to get back to normal life again and feel like I'm living."
The Flyers announced Dec. 13 that Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, and although he will not play again this season, which was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, he skated and worked out with his teammates on June 23 for the first time since his diagnosis.
"We'll see (what's next)," Lindblom said. "I'm going to try to get back from the chemo and take it from there. Haven't planned anything yet, just trying to get back in shape and we'll see how far it goes."

Lindblom was tied with forward Travis Konecny for the Flyers lead with 11 goals when he left the lineup following their game against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 7. He was selected by the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association as the Flyers nominee for the Masterton Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

"I can't say enough about this young man," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in a statement. "Everyone can see the talent and impact that Oskar has had for us on the ice, but he is an outstanding teammate in our locker room and a genuinely good person. His attitude and strength through all of this is a tremendous inspiration for us all. Today is a great day. Congrats to Oskar. We look forward to having him rejoin our team in the near future."
Biscuit Tees, a company co-owned by Kim Parent, the daughter of Flyers legend Bernie Parent, sold Oskar Strong shirts, with more than $200,000 in sales being donated to Hockey Fights Cancer. The shirts can be purchased at
BiscuitTees.com
.
Lindblom's teammates and a number of players from around the NHL wore the shirts, including Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers, Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings, Wayne Simmonds of the Buffalo Sabres and Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals, as did "NHL on NBC" broadcaster Eddie Olczyk, a survivor of colon cancer.

Lindblom said that level of support helped in his fight.
"From family to friends to fans, can't explain how much it meant to me," Lindblom said. "Especially at the start, when it was some rough times, I got all those kind words and they made me feel so much better and calm. (It) really helped."
Photos courtesy: Zack Hill/Philadelphia Flyers