For Avs defenseman Mark Barberio, the reminder is in the form of former teammate Brian Boyle, who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils. Boyle was diagnosed during training camp in September with chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare form of blood and bone marrow cancer, but made his return to the ice and season debut on Wednesday night.
"It is great to see him comeback, and it is just one example," Barberio said of Boyle. "I think everybody in this room has an example of being touched by cancer."
Boyle is one of those guys that players gravitate toward in the league. He's a leader that helps young players grow and adjust to life in the NHL.
He was that type of person for Barberio when the two were teammates on the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2014-15. Boyle was in his first year on the Florida gulf coast after five years with the New York Rangers, while Barberio, then 24, was in his second NHL season but was still trying to find his role in the league.
"We were pretty close," Barberio said. "If you know him, he comes from a big family and he is a big brother-type guy. In Tampa, a lot of guys looked up to him. Very easy to talk to, a very easy-going guy."