By Jim Diamond

I threw this on Twitter, but things can often get lost in that mess. So, I thought for any future Googles of Brian Boyle, that people may want to see this quote.

In the game, a 3-2 shootout win for the Devils, Boyle scored once and then won it in the shootout with a nice wrist shot that beat Juuse Saros blocker side.

Prior to the game’s start, Boyle and Predators captain Roman Josi participated in a ceremonial faceoff as part of the Hockey Fights cancer initiative. The puck was dropped by Kendall James, a young cancer patient. Usually team captains are participants in these types of faceoffs, but Boyle, a cancer survivor himself, was tapped to square off with Josi.

After the game and after already doing radio and TV interviews, I asked Boyle first about the game, and then about the pregame festivities. Despite needing to get showered and to the team bus, he gave a thoughtful and heartfelt response when asked about the beautiful young lady who dropped the puck. It was amazing.

It’s just unfair. 42 weeks or 43 weeks of chemo for the poor girl. She’s… that’s a hero. Her family, I don’t know if she has siblings, that’s some of the hardest stuff to see. You see them with a smile on their face. That’s heartwarming, remission, hearing she’s in remission, it’s heartwarming. It’s great on the Predators to recognize her. It’s great for me to meet her. That’s something that’s near and dear to my heart. The pediatrics, it’s just unfair to the kids and especially the families that have to go through that. It’s gut-wrenching. It’s just so difficult. I applaud the families that go through it. I applaud the donations and the donors and the people, the nurses and doctors that dedicate their lives to trying to cure it and fix it. Those are some people that should be really celebrated. Hockey Fights Cancer, it’s a great initiative and hopefully we can continue to try to get as much people to donate. A guy like me who is on the receiving end of research and money, I get to take pills and play hockey. I’m one of the lucky ones. Still, it’s just not fair for these kids so hopefully we can just eradicate it completely in the near future.