There was emotion in the air Sunday morning as the Flyers prepared to face the Canadiens. Recovered from cancer since July, Oskar Lindblom was finally able to join his teammates for training.
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“The coaches, we almost had tears in our eyes seeing Oskar leading the stretch at the end of practice,” said Alain Vigneault, a few hours before the third game of this series. We supported him in all stages. When you think about everything he’s been through, it was emotional. “
The Swede has successfully battled Ewing’s sarcoma, a form of bone cancer diagnosed by doctors in mid-December. In those pre-pandemic times, a return to the game, even for the 2019-2020 playoffs, was unthinkable. Either way, at that point it was a long way off the 24-year-old’s priorities.
“In the beginning, my goal was to come back alive. I wondered more about how I was going to feel before I thought of starting to play again, ”he said.
Words of encouragement
To “come back alive”, Lindblom had to undergo many treatments. He himself said he went to the hospital every two weeks to fight the disease. Throughout this time, he kept in touch with his teammates, which greatly helped him through this ordeal.
“They always saw me as a member of the team, even though I wasn’t there. They were texting me, making phone calls. They gave me energy, ”said the striker.
“I was in contact with my teammates the whole process, for six months. Today, there is nothing better than to be back with them, ”he added.
Lindblom also received advice and words of encouragement from athletes who had gone through a similar ordeal, including those from Mario Lemieux who had battled Hodgkin’s disease in the early months of 1993.
“It made me feel good mentally,” Lindblom said.
No precise timeline
This return to the entourage of the team is the first step towards a return to the game. However, Lindblom is aware that it may be a few weeks before taking this next step.
” We’ll see. I don’t want to put pressure on myself, said the Swede, the team’s first scorer as his season ended. I have to get back to being strong enough and good enough to be able to help the team win. “
It is also difficult for his trainer to establish a very precise timetable. But he’s of the opinion that Lindblom’s desire to return to the game is clear.
“The youngster returned home to see his family and friends. He came back to join us in the bubble where he had to spend eight days, isolated in his hotel room. It means he wants to play, ”said Vigneault.
“We’re excited to have him full time with us. We want to continue so that he can finish the season with us. “
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