Philadelphia Flyers: The NHL highlights Oskar Lindblom’s inspiring story

The Philadelphia Flyers and the NHL once again highlight what it means to be #Oskarstrong.

As the NHL flips its calendar from October to November – ya know, just like we all do – the league turns its attention to something bigger than hockey: Cancer.

Through the league’s initiative Hockey Fights Cancer, the league has teamed up with the Canadian Cancer Society, and the American Cancer Society to both raise further awareness for the deadly disease and also raise money via donations and very cool purple merch for further research.

And of the videos, messages, and statements released across the league, none was as powerful as the NFL’s profile of Philadelphia Flyers left wing Oskar Lindblom.

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*sobs* I’m not crying; you are.

For those who aren’t familiar with Lindblom’s story, allow me to summarize. In December of 2019, Lindblom, a fifth-round pick of the Flyers all the way back in 2014, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a cancerous tumor that grows in the bones or in the tissue around bones. He was immediately removed from the team’s active roster and began a rigorous chemotherapy regiment that many assumed could put his long-term viability as a hockey player into question.

Though the team remained fully committed to Lindblom both on and off the ice, even going so far as to sign the then-23-year-old to a three-year, $9 million extension, few expected to see the left-handed winger back on the ice anytime soon.

Well, apparently, no one really knew just how tough Oskar was.

Fast forward nine(!) months into the future, and Oskar was back, re-joining the Flyers for the NHL Bubble in Toronto. Not only was he in the bubble, but he was actually ready to play, making his on-ice return in a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders in the second round. Over his two games of playoff hockey, Oskar took part in 46 shifts, recorded 34:12 TOI, and even recorded a block.

And honestly, whether you’re a fan of the Flyers, the Islanders, or even the Penguins, you were an Oskar Lindblom fan when he retook the ice for that very first time.

While only time will tell what the future holds for Oskar Lindblom and his Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL deserves a ton of credit for cutting together such a powerful video highlighting his story, as it very well may help to inspire some young kid going through a similar situation and have them feel less alone. Who knows, maybe they’ll even opt to pick up a purple #23 Philadelphia Flyers jersey and wear it out like a superhero costume.