Eddie Olczyk Shares Valuable Life Lessons after Beating Cancer

When I found out that one of my good friend's mother had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, it was devastating.
Not long after learning the news, I had the chance to see her. It happened to be at the end of a holiday hockey game. As I skated towards her, she accepted my embrace even though I was still wearing my sweat-soaked gear. I fought back tears and told her I was thinking of her. And then I skated off. Several weeks passed and I still hadn't talked to her again.
I heard from my friend that her procedure went well, which was exceptional news, but I still hadn't reached out to her directly. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to bother her. I had come up with a number of reasons why I should hold off on sending something.
Eventually, I sent her a message letting her know she was still in our thoughts and wanted to see how she was doing. She said she was feeling fine, and then told me that, after watching a recent video I had posted on social media, it was great to see my daughter skating on her own.

Although it took me far too long to send that message, I wanted to make sure that, even though it was just a quick note, she knew she could count on my support for her fiercest battle.
Part of the reason I finally broke my silence was, truthfully, because I had recently finished reading Eddie Olczyk's book, Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life. While the book chronicles his hockey journey, his passion for horse racing, and his second career in broadcasting, it also focused on his own fight against cancer.

One section, in particular, really struck me. I couldn't shake it. While undergoing chemotherapy treatments, Olczyk had plenty of time to reflect, and one of those things happened to be about the people who did or did not check in on him during his illness.
For him, there was no excuse for not reaching out to him or anyone in a similar situation. He wrote, "I want people to know it means a lot when they reach out. It helps someone get through a day because the days are so long."
And that was the reason I finally reached out to my friend's mom. I should have done it weeks earlier because it was simply the right thing to do, but it was Olczyk's words that inspired me. I realized that my reticence about saying the wrong thing or not knowing what to say paled in comparison to the difference that a few words could make.
While Olczyk's book is unquestionably a hockey book, the lesson and inspiration I drew from it, is exactly what he hopes readers will take away.
"If I can inspire one person in some form or fashion, whether it's getting through a battle like I went through, it was well-worth it," Olczyk said. "I just really felt like I had a chance to make a difference and if I can make a difference, or help someone plough through a tough time, then it was worth all the hard work and the research."

Olczyk acknowledges that he has had opportunities to write a book in the past, but his heart just wasn't in it. It was only after he got sick, did his perspective change. In August 2017, Olczyk had announced he had been diagnosed with a form of colon cancer. Following surgery and beginning chemotherapy treatments, Olcyzk decided it was time to put his story down on paper.
"When I got sick and I was going through my battle, it kind of dawned on me, no pun intended, here's the final chapter of my book," he said. "I just felt the time was right to make a difference in the community, whether they're hockey fans, horse racing fans or just people that have been in the cancer battle."
As Olczyk and his co-author, Perry Lefko, began the process, he found it to be very therapeutic. "It took me away from the chemo," he said. The book was a welcomed distraction, but Olczyk was in the battle for his life, and he laid that bare on the pages.
Olczyk does not shy away from explaining how the cancer nearly got the better of him. "I've never quit at anything in my life but the chemo just broke me down," he said. "The disease brought me to my knees. I needed my wife to be there and the caretakers and caregivers were so important in the battle as well."
After enduring six months of chemotherapy, during which time he sometimes doubted if he would survive, Olczyk announced he was cancer-free in March 2018.
"When we announced it publicly that I was cancer free, I said 'we did it' because I do believe it was a 'we'," Olczyk said. "I'll be forever grateful for all the people I knew or didn't know, who were sending positive thoughts my way."

In reflecting on his ordeal, Olczyk believes that writing the book while battling cancer provided him with a different perspective on his hockey career.
"I knew I had success but when I was sick and writing the book and getting ready to tell my story, I was like I should be more proud," he said. "I should have my head up and my chest out more what I had been able to accomplish and maybe it took me getting sick to realize that."
Part of Olczyk's 1,031-game NHL career, which included four 30-goal seasons, included the better part of a season with the Kings. Just before Olczyk began his tenure with the Kings, his fourth child, Nicholas, was born on October 4, 1996, which also happened to be the club's first game of the season.
"Nicky was born. Everything was good. I told Diana I loved her and I'll see her after the game," he laughed. "It was obviously a special day and something I'll never forget."
But it wasn't the first time something like that had happened to Olczyk in his hockey career.
"I've had some interesting days in the delivery room with getting traded in 1990 from Toronto to Winnipeg and getting called out of the delivery room to get told I was traded," he said. "Sure enough, six years later, my son Nick is brought in this world and I'm on my way from Cedars-Sinai to the Forum."
Although Olczyk hardly had any chance for warmup, he got the only goal in a 1-0 shutout against the Islanders. Following the game, Olczyk was back at the hospital with the puck, which his son kept and proudly displays on his mantle at home.

While Olczyk was only with the Kings for 67 games, the club left a lasting impression on him. During his time in LA, one of his teammates, Kevin Stevens, whom Olczyk affectionately refers to as 'Artie,' gave him the nickname 'Edzo.'
Olczyk knew right away that the moniker would stick and it's been with him ever since. "Artie gave me my name," he said. "Most people now refer to me as Edzo, there are a few who still refer to me as Eddie O or just the letter O, but Artie gave it to me and I'm proud to say I got it as a member of the Kings."
As Olczyk moves into the next chapter of his life, his story is a source of inspiration for those out there going through the fight of their lives. And for those who are on the sidelines of the battle, it is not too late to offer words of encouragement or support.
"Sometimes people don't know what to say but you don't have to say a lot," Olczyk said. "It helps. It lets you know that somebody out there is on your side."