Oskar Lindblom on rejoining the Flyers: “Being around the boys is the best.”
A little over eight and a half months after being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, Oskar Lindblom, with his Flyers jersey on and his teammates alongside him, skated in warmups before an NHL playoff game.
Lindblom took the ice in warmups Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto ahead of the Flyers’ Game 4 in the club’s best-of-seven second-round playoff series against the Islanders.
The 24-year-old native of Sweden, who completed his radiation treatments in July and has been deemed without evidence of cancer, joined the Flyers in Toronto earlier this month and has been practicing with the team.
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“He’s getting closer to coming back, it’s nice to have him around us," Sean Couturier said postgame in a video interview following the Flyers' 3-2 Game 4 loss. "Such a great guy and what he’s been through, he’s done a heck of job of just being positive and keeping a good attitude. Having that around us just kind of reflects on us.”
Lindblom’s inspiring fight and infectious smile have always uplifted his teammates.
His teammates have meant a lot to Lindblom, too.
"It’s been everything," Lindblom said a couple of weeks ago about their support. "They’ve talked to me as if I’m still on the team even if I’m not there. Those tough weeks when I felt so bad and trying to think about life, they’ve called me and texted me, to help get me more energy and it helped me through the whole process. Now I’m here and happier than ever.”
The Flyers have not ruled out the chances of Lindblom playing in a game during these playoffs, if the club continues its playoff run through September.
They’ve learned to never count out anything with No. 23.
