The New Jersey Devils announced Tuesday that center Brian Boyle has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia.
Despite the diagnosis, the 32-year-old kept his focus on the team and the first game of the season.
"My mindset is on Oct. 7. I don’t like missing games. I feel as close to normal as you can feel," Boyle said, per the team's Twitter account. "We have a good plan of attack and I look forward to getting on the ice and playing."
Boyle had missed practices this week for what was announced as a "personal issue," per Andrew Gross of the Record.