"You told me if I could see it in my mind …"
She paused.
"Sorry."
She cleared her throat.
"… believe it in my heart and commit to it with everything that I had, that it would happen. I had some rough times. I shouldn't be here, and I am. You inspired me."
RELATED: [Kariya back in spotlight at Hall of Fame festivities]
Michelle Blackburn had been a fan of Kariya's since 1998, early in his NHL career. She admired the speed and skill that led to 989 points (402 goals, 587 assists) in 989 games with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, but also the character that made him a two-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for "sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."
"He wasn't a dirty player," she said. "It was about the game. And I loved that."
Blackburn was diagnosed with breast cancer Oct. 8, 2010, at age 28. Her wish: to see Kariya play one more time. But Kariya played his last NHL game April 10, 2010, and announced his retirement June 29, 2011, right after she finished treatment.
She went through a tough time early in 2014. Knowing what Kariya meant to her, David Pierce, her brother, reached out to a reporter who put him in touch with University of Denver hockey coach Jim Montgomery, who had played with Kariya at the University of Maine.
"I extended a branch and said, 'Hey, if there's any way you can connect the two, that would be great,' " Pierce said.