Lindblom skates with Flyers for first time since cancer diagnosis

Oskar Lindblom skated with Philadelphia Flyers teammates Tuesday for the first time since his cancer diagnosis.

The 23-year-old forward was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, in December and will not play again this season.

"It's fun to be out there," Lindblom said. "Still tough not to be as good as I used to be when you're normal. But it's fun to be out there, fun to be with the boys again, skate around and get the feel of it."

Lindblom said he's skated "three or four times" since being diagnosed, but Tuesday was his first time in voluntary small-group workouts since Phase 2 of the NHL Return To Play Plan began June 8.

"It's going great," he said. "I don't have a lot [of treatments] left. Will be done soon. There's a light in the tunnel. ... That's the only thing I'm waiting for right now is to be done with my chemo and get back with the team and play some hockey. That will be unreal to get back to real life again and have fun."

Lindblom was tied with forward Travis Konecny for the Flyers lead with 11 goals when he left the lineup following their Dec. 7 game against the Ottawa Senators. The Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association selected him as the Flyers nominee for the Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

"It was great to see him out there," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in a statement. "He looked really good on the ice, his hands are still there. It is remarkable to think that with all the treatments that he has had he was able to go out there today and still show the skill and still have the stamina to skate for about 35-40 minutes. It's a great sign for him and very exciting to think that with all going well in the future he's going to return to play for us. Obviously, Phase 2 is voluntary, and every player and staff member must follow very strict guidelines and rules. Our practice facility is a very safe environment, safer than most places."

Though he won't be playing, Lindblom said he believes the Flyers have a great chance to win the Stanley Cup. Philadelphia (41-21-7) was fourth in the Eastern Conference with a .645 points percentage and will play a round-robin in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers with the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals to determine the top four seeds in the conference for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Dates and locations of the two hub cities for the qualifiers -- one for the 12 participating teams in the East, one for the 12 Western Conference teams -- have not been announced.

"End of the season they had a real good push," Lindbolm said. "Our team is so good together. Can't wait to see them again and can't wait to be with them and start practicing with them. They have a great chance to push for a good playoff run here."