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Brian Boyle’s season just continues to get more magical. After being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a rare yet treatable form of cancer, back in September, Boyle has made headlines this season with his emotionally inspired play for the New Jersey Devils.
Now, Boyle has been rewarded for his efforts with an invitation to the All-Star Game in Tampa Bay this weekend, as the Devils’ previous pick, Taylor Hall, is out of the game due to a hand injury.
Boyle called the invitation to the NHL’s grand weekend “an honor” to the media after the team’s 3-0 loss to Nashville Thursday. This will be Boyle’s first All-Star Game in his NHL career.
"I'm very, very honored."
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) January 26, 2018
The #NJDevils are honored to have @BriBrows22 represent #JerseysTeam in Tampa! #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/PMZwhN1WRz
The 33-year-old forward has had a resurgence this season after putting up just 25 points in 75 games between Tampa Bay and Toronto last season. In 38 games, Boyle has 11 goals and 17 points. With New Jersey, Boyle is on pace to have a career season as his success story has surged on since his return to play in November.
While Boyle isn’t a household name, his story is one to highlight for the Devils, who have had incredible success this season. Boyle is aware that his skillset isn’t as impressive as some of the other names in the tournament, but we’ve seen before that emotional stories can carry the weight of an All-Star team.
#NJDevils: Boyle: “I’m not naive to the fact that there will be a lot more skill than I have there.”
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) January 26, 2018
The NHL’s All-Star events will take place over the weekend, with the Skills Competition kicking off the event on Saturday, Jan. 27. The All-Star Game will follow on Sunday with a $1 million pool prize on the line between the NHL’s four divisions.