Brian Boyle will make his season debut Wednesday night for the Devils, six weeks after being diagnosed with cancer.
He’ll play for the first time with the Devils when they face the Canucks in Vancouver. Boyle, who signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract in the offseason, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a type of bone marrow cancer, during training camp.
“It’s been a long road,” Boyle said after the Devils’ morning skate at Rogers Arena. “I’m excited.”
Boyle was medically cleared to return to practice Oct. 22, and coach John Hynes confirmed he’ll be in the lineup against the Canucks on Wednesday morning.
“I’m 32 years old and this is a game I get to play every day. I had that taken away from me for a little bit, which was sad,” Boyle said, according to NorthJersey.com. “It’s something I’ve always woke up every morning thinking about. It’s given me so much. I met my wife playing in New York with the Rangers. The relationships, the people — some of my best friends I’ve met through hockey.
“I’m so blessed to be able to do this. We all are. If you look at the big picture and turn on the news then look at your own situation and what we get to do, it’s remarkable. I’m so thankful for it.”
Boyle spent five seasons with the Rangers, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. He spent the past three seasons with the Lightning, reaching the Cup Final again in 2015, the Maple Leafs.
He has 93 goals and 169 points in 624 career games.