Lee, Islanders honor late friend at Hockey Fights Cancer event

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. --Anders Lee will have one person on his mind when he hosts his third annual Kancer Jam event after the New York Islanders host the Dallas Stars at Barclays Center on Sunday.

The Islanders forward lost his close friend and inspiration for the event, Fenov Pierre-Louis, to stage 4 Neuroblastoma cancer on July 18, less than two weeks after Lee and his wife, Grace, got married. Fenov, who was diagnosed in the second grade, was 17.
"Fenov just had that presence about him," said Lee, who made it from his honeymoon in time to attend Fenov's services. "He was kind of wise beyond his years. He was always thinking about everybody else. Our friendship was so easy, coming from two completely worlds … before I met him, he had never been to an arena, let alone a hockey game. I learned a lot from him, and vice versa. It was just a special relationship."
With the help of Lee's teammates, the first Kancer Jam events have raised more than $225,000. They'll all be by his side again on Sunday playing KanJam, a game where teams of two compete against each other trying to get a flying disc into a garbage can.

Lee's efforts have inspired other NHL players to join forces with the Jam Kancer In The Kan Foundation, including New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian, to assist families impacted by pediatric cancer.
"It's amazing," said Lee, who was named Islanders captain on Oct. 4. "Without them, we wouldn't have the tournament and the fun little afternoon. They come in with their families and spend another few hours with us and the people that raise money to play. It really is a fun time. Their time is important, but it really means a lot to me that they're there for us.
"It means a lot to me and to [my wife] Grace and to everyone in this room too, showing up and taking part in it. It's just continued to grow; it's getting spread around a little bit around the League too, which is awesome to see."
Islanders forward Josh Bailey, who has been Lee's teammate since Lee made his NHL debut in 2013, said the Kancer Jam is an event the entire team enjoys for several reasons.

"It obviously goes to a great cause," Bailey said. "Anders is just such an easy guy to get behind for stuff like this, the way we feel about him. He puts a lot of passion into this. It's something we all look forward to."
Lee said Fenov will be there in spirit and he and his teammates will honor his memory and raise money to help those who continue to fight as bravely as Fenov did for a decade.
"This one means a lot to us," Lee said. "It's the first one without Fenov, so it'll be a little tough to start to not have him with his wonderful words at the beginning. But we'll find a way to honor him and to keep him in our memory."