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Brian Boyle played 14 seasons in the NHL, forging a reputation as a passionate player who gave it all every game. He inspired the hockey world off the ice, too, during his battle with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

He announced he had been diagnosed with a form of blood and bone marrow cancer in Sept. 2017. He missed the first 10 games of the 2017-18 season but ended up played 69 games for the New Jersey Devils while undergoing treatment. Boyle was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for “perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey” by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Boyle scored his first goal after his diagnosis on Nov. 9, 2017, leading to an emotional moment for the veteran forward and the fans in the stands.

Almost a year later, Boyle had another incredible moment in his comeback: Tallying the first hat trick of his career on Nov. 5, 2018, against the Pittsburgh Penguins — on Hockey Fights Cancer night, no less. Around two weeks before that game, Boyle found out that he was in remission.

Boyle joined Arda Ocal on ESPN’s digital hockey show “The Drop” this week to talk about Hockey Fights Cancer, as well as his post-NHL life and what it was like to play with Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist on the New York Rangers. Note that the below transcript was edited for length and clarity. The full interview is available on all podcasting platforms and on the NHL on ESPN channel on YouTube.

The NHL, the Players’ Association, and the V Foundation are united in the fight against cancer. Together they are funding game-changing research to help achieve Victory Over Cancer. You can join them in this fight. Visit HockeyFightsCancer.com to donate now.

ESPN: How has the media side of things been going for you?

Boyle: I’m learning. I’m really trying to improve. I enjoy it very much, so that’s why I’m trying to get better at it. I get to watch a lot of hockey. We just had twins. We got a lot of kids running around, and I get to tell my wife “I have to work, I gotta watch these games.”

It’s still the game, and I love chatting about it. A former teammate of mine and good friend Cory Schneider jumped on the NHL Network, too. We were chopping it up one day and I think we’re gonna do a podcast. We would bounce things back and forth when we played together for the Devils, and his perspective was awesome. We’ve actually recorded a few. I think the name is the best part of the podcast so far: We’re gonna be called “The One-Time All-Stars.” Because we were both all-stars … once. It was gonna be that or “The Worst of the Best.”

ESPN: Speaking of goalies, Henrik Lundqvist just got inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. If you’re able to share, what is your favorite Henrik Lundqvist story?

Boyle: He had some pretty cool vehicles when he played, and he probably still does. When we were playing together, he had this gray Lamborghini. He had it detailed — made it matted, made it a little darker. In the back, where it says Lamborghini in cursive, I guess when he got it detailed the guy changed it to Lundqvist in cursive.

So he pulls up to the rink, and his name’s on the back of his car. And the guys just started giving it to him. We all took thick white hockey tape, put a couple layers down, and printed our names on the back of our own cars. And he was furious. He’d come in the room, and he’s like, “How come everybody always picks on me?”

He drives his Maserati the next couple days and then the Lamborghini. And now it says Lamborghini again. Didn’t say Lundqvist. He took it down. Meanwhile, us idiots are driving through Manhattan with our names on the back of our cars.

My favorite competitive story about Hank was at the end of practice. He’d like to take some breakaways. Every guy would go twice, and I think there were 16 guys in line. I remembered counting it because no one was scoring on him. On the last attempt, he stopped the first one. And I forget who scored, but the 32nd attempt went in. He was 31-for-32. And his stick came down on the crossbar with force, broke right in half, in a million pieces. He flipped the net on its end, said some a bunch of swears in Swedish and skated off the ice.

Guys were laughing but I was in awe of that. It’s not fake. That is what he expects from himself.

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Henrik Lundqvist gets emotional thanking family during HOF speech

Henrik Lundqvist gets choked up talking about the support his family provided him during his hockey journey.

ESPN: Obviously, one of the big reasons we wanted to have you on was this month is Hockey Fights Cancer month. You have a spectacular journey. Not only just dealing with cancer as a human being, but also as an NHL player. And what happened on the ice in and around Hockey Fights Cancer month for you. There are two moments in particular. One was when you scored your first goal after your diagnosis. What do you remember about that?

Boyle: That one was interesting because my son had just gotten out of the hospital. He had a rare malformation in his jaw which was presenting like Ewing sarcoma. This was two or three weeks after I was diagnosed with leukemia. We didn’t know what was going on, but his jaw was enormous, and it was very scary.

We went to a couple places around the New York area, and then I said I have to take him up to Boston and the doctor. They told me this was cancer. I said, “We haven’t even done a biopsy yet.” I was doing all my own research, which is never good. It just added stress and panic. But I asked if it was an arteriovenous malformation instead. And they said it’s not, because it never crosses the midline of the jaw, ever. I said, “I think it’s that.” But they said it can’t be.

Anyway, he goes in. They open him up a little bit, and it turns out it’s an AVM. First human ever on record that had it where he had it. So the doctor comes back in. He’s crying, and I’m panicked even more now, and he tells me I was right. It’s not cancer and he couldn’t believe it. And me and this gentleman — Dr. Sal Afshar, an angel on earth — are embracing and we’re sobbing in each other’s arms.

[My son] has his first surgery. I leave day of the game. Fly down to Jersey, get into the game against the Oilers [on Nov. 9, 2017]. Something was working for me that day. I still get emotional talking about it: That celebration was a little bit with what I was going through, but more so [about] my son. It was a little tap on the shoulder from God being like, “Everything’s gonna be alright, man.” He had 13 more surgeries after that, so it wasn’t easy, but it was it was a real big moment for me, for a lot of reasons.

I was sobbing on the bench. My head was down and I was trying to get it together. It’s 100% my favorite goal I ever scored.

The crowd noise when that went in … they lifted me up more than they’ll ever know in Jersey. And it’s funny because I played in Jersey, and I played in New York, and that’s a big rivalry, and both fan bases mean so much to me.

ESPN: A year later you have a hat trick on Hockey Fights Cancer night with the Devils. The third goal was a one-timer. You were on one knee, and you stayed there for like an extra three seconds. What were you thinking in that exact moment?

Boyle: I was just like “Holy s—, it went in. I can’t believe this is happening again.” At Hockey Fights Cancer night that year, I scored against the Islanders. The game after the Edmonton game it was Hockey Fights Cancer night and I scored against Vancouver. It seemed like on Hockey Fights Cancer nights, I had a lot of success.

Two of the goals were tip-in goals. I didn’t think I touched the first one. Ben Lovejoy shot it. I’m like, “Lovy, that’s your goal.” So after I scored the third one, he comes over to me and says, “You better stop talking about this now. That’s your goal. This is too big. You gotta take it.”

ESPN: Do you ever look back on that night and be like, man, Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it better? Like everything you went through, your cancer is in remission. And then a week or two later, you have your first career hat trick in the NHL on Hockey Fights Cancer night?

Boyle: It was. My dad, who’s battled cancer for 20-plus years, was at the game because he was doing a talk in the area. He’s a miracle. He shouldn’t be alive. But he was cured miraculously. His cancer disappeared. We come from a real, strong Catholic faith. I’ve seen miracles happen. Everybody has different faith, and that’s great. And hopefully, people have faith. I think it’s been the biggest reason we’ve gotten out of this. A lot of a lot of bad things have happened to us, and we’ve gotten through it on the other side.

On Hockey Fights Cancer night, everyone [in the crowd] had their signs up. And a lot of signs had my name on it, which I couldn’t believe. But then you just look around at all the names. I got to meet a lot of people on those nights that were a lot worse off than I was, that had wonderful, amazing, heroic attitudes towards their diagnosis. They understand that it affects not just the patient, but their entire family.

Going through what I went through with my son, all those surgeries at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, you can get down sometimes. It is hard, and that’s OK. I looked around late at night if my son was awake and saw other children that had much harder fights.

I went down to get some food at the Children’s Hospital, and I saw a young girl, probably about four, and with her dad and her mom and her little brother, who was probably two. And the 2-year-old was the patient. The dad and the girl had to go home because the girl probably had school. The mom was going to stay with the little boy at the hospital. And the girl would not leave. She was sobbing, trying to hug her brother, didn’t want to leave him. And that’s when you realize that it affects everybody. And it was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in that hospital.

Don’t forget the financial burdens it places on people. How important these [Hockey Fights Cancer] nights are to raise money and to try to raise funds for research, so this doesn’t happen to these young children. Because it is the most devastating, cruel thing I’ve ever seen.

ESPN: To that point this year in the NHL, there are no themed warm-up jerseys on the ice for things like Hockey Fights Cancer. What are your thoughts and what was your reaction when you heard that?

Boyle: It’s turned into something that it should never have been. It has turned into two sides pointing fingers. That’s the way it goes. But people will find reasons to make a bunch of noise. I think the Internet is gonna be our demise at some point.

For anyone going into a hockey rink who thinks they’re different and that they don’t belong there, I don’t think that’s OK. For anybody that has military ties, and they’re not really able to be proud of that, I don’t think that’s OK. For the Hockey Fights Cancer, if we have an opportunity to do something very small to benefit these people that I just spoke about that have it much worse off than we do, then I think you do it. We have the platform to do these things. We have the platform to make things better.

Hockey’s a hard game. It’s demanding. It’s physical. You hear all these stories about guys who fought and then had a beer after the game, or they’re friends in the offseason. It’s a community that’s tighter than any. In my opinion, this is pulling it apart. So there has to be a middle ground. I’m not saying it was perfect, how it was all done. I think different cities should have their own promotions. It costs a lot to run a team in the NHL, you should be able to promote things you want to, within reason.

I think the NHL thought it was too much noise and negativity. So they pulled the plug on all of it. And that’s kind of like parents to kids when you’re fighting and bickering over an iPad or a video game. It’s like, “Screw this. We’re done with it.” And a lot of good got taken out with it, which is unfortunate.

I’m not pointing fingers at the league with how they handled it. I think there was just too much commotion. They did what they thought was right at the time. But the league does a lot of good with Hockey Fights Cancer and still raises money.

ESPN: Finally, the idea of battling cancer going through treatments and then having to play at the highest level. What was that like for you to have to deal with this mentally, physically, but also be called upon to play your sport at the highest level?

Boyle: I just remember a lot of people texting me. It was weird. I appreciated all of it. I really, really did. And it got me through a lot of the tougher times. And then I wanted to get back on the ice so it would stop.

In the beginning, guys were taking it easy on me, I thought. I missed the first 10 games because my spleen was still pretty enlarged because of all the white blood cells in my blood. I was losing my mind on the trainers and the coaches for not letting me play. I just wanted to get back to show everyone I was OK. My family, my friends back home, my teammates in the rest of the league — I’m fine. There are people that need your support. I did need it, and now you’ve given it to me. Let’s play hockey.

You’re in the NHL. You think you’re Superman. You have to tell yourself those things. I felt really bad for like three to four months. I didn’t know what was going on, and then I found out what was going on and that was tough. But then I felt better. When I felt good I said, “Let me play.” And they didn’t for a little bit, which was probably good call. Then when I got back, everything kind of settled back into normal, which was great.

It’s a big thing to maybe help people that are going through it. That’s a real pleasure of mine. I think that’s a gift for me to be able to talk to some people that are going through it a little bit right now, and just give them my perspective.

I know Jason Blake reached out to me. And then really, really did help me. He had CML like I did. That was like one of the best phone calls I ever had. because it. I was like, “Alright enough pouting.” We talked like 45 minutes. I was in my car, and I’d forget I was in the in my driveway. I wasn’t gonna hang up until he did because I asked him 300 questions, and he stuck with me the whole time.

ESPN: Do you think you’ll be that guy? Like, if you hear of a player get some sort of diagnosis, do you think you’ll be the guy who picks up the phone?

Boyle: I wanna be. I wanna be better at it, because there’s been times where I’ve not done it right away. We could all be better at those things, I think. If you’ve been through it or you haven’t, everybody’s been through something. I know how much it meant to me. You’re not annoying them. It matters even if they don’t get back to you. It’s well worth the time.

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Hard-throwing rookie Misiorowski going to ASG

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Hard-throwing rookie Misiorowski going to ASG

Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.

Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.

The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.

If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.

Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.

“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”

Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.

“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”

Carlos Rodón, Carlos Estévez and Casey Mize were named replacement pitchers on the AL roster.

The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.

In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.

“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”

The Kansas City Royals‘ Estévez replaces Texas’ Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to start at Houston on Saturday night. Estévez was a 2023 All-Star when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.

Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.

Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.

The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”

Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.

Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.

San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.

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Bellinger goes deep for 3rd time after Cubs rob HR

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Bellinger goes deep for 3rd time after Cubs rob HR

NEW YORK — Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn’t sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again.

“I didn’t know at first,” he said. “For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.”

Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.

Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won five straight games following a a six-game losing streak.

Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP.

He spent 2023 and 2024 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million.

He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multihomer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall.

“I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,” Bellinger said. “But it was a good catch.”

“Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,” Bellinger added.

A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder’s glove.

“I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they’d probably look at it and get it overturned,” Tucker said. “I’ve probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone’s hand or whatever but I don’t know if anyone’s ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.”

Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row.

“The fan just beat to the spot,” Crow-Armstrong said. “He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.”

Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3.

“Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,” said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. “I’ve seen PCA rob so many homers. He’s a freak athlete out there.”

Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.

He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice.

“No, no, no revenge,” he said. “Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn’t seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call.

“He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger” over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it,” Boone said. “Belly’s loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood.”

Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse.

He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger’s teammates could sense the significance.

“It’s always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,” Boone said. “To perform right away against them I’m sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.”

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M’s Raleigh hits 2 more HRs, brings total to 38

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M's Raleigh hits 2 more HRs, brings total to 38

DETROIT — Cal Raleigh hit his 37th and 38th home runs in Seattle‘s 12-3 victory over Detroit on Friday night to move within one of Barry Bonds’ 2001 major league record for homers before the All-Star break.

Raleigh hit a solo homer off former teammate Tyler Holton in the eighth to tie the American League record of 37 before the All-Star break set by Reggie Jackson in 1969 and matched by Chris Davis in 2013.

“[Holton] and I are really good friends, and I’ve caught a lot of his pitches,” said Raleigh, who was in the lineup as the designated hitter instead of at catcher. “I don’t think that helped much, but I’m sure he’s not very happy with me.”

Raleigh hit a grand slam off Brant Hurter in the ninth.

“I didn’t even know it was a record until just now,” Raleigh said. “I don’t have words for it, I guess. I’m just very grateful and thankful.”

It was Raleigh’s eighth multihomer game this season, tying Jackson (also in 1969) for the most such games before the All-Star break in MLB history, according to ESPN Research. He also tied Ken Griffey Jr. for the most multihomer games in Mariners franchise history.

Seattle has two games left in Detroit before the break.

“Cal Raleigh … this is just unbelievable,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “He’s already set the AL record and now he’s only one short of Barry. There are two games, so who knows?”

Raleigh hit 10 homers in March and April, 12 in May, 11 in June and has five in July.

“This is a very boring comment, but baseball is all about consistency,” Wilson said. “This hasn’t been one hot streak, he’s doing this month after month. That says everything.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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