Five Questions with Eddie Olczyk

NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Five Questions With …" runs throughout the 2018-19 regular season. We talk to key figures in and around the game and ask them questions to gain insight into their lives, careers and the most recent news.
The latest edition features former NHL forward/current "NHL on NBC" analyst Eddie Olczyk, who fought and beat Stage 3 colon cancer.

Eddie Olczyk is looking and feeling more himself these days, 40 pounds lighter than when he was receiving chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
"I'm fitting into those skinny jeans," Olczyk said with a laugh. "I'm back to my fighting weight, so to speak, back to my normal routine. I couldn't feel better."
RELATED: [Olczyk takes 'One More Shift' on Blackhawks Hockey Fights Cancer Night | More Hockey Fights Cancer coverage]
For Olczyk, 52, the NHL's Hockey Fights Cancer initiative means a lot. Olczyk, also a Chicago Blackhawks television analyst, was diagnosed with cancer Aug. 4, 2017. He announced he was cancer free when the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 at United Center on March 22.
Olczyk was again part of Hockey Fights Cancer events before the Blackhawks defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-1 at United Center on Sunday. He emceed a pregame Purple Carpet event with former Blackhawks forward Adam Burish. The two introduced and honored fans who are battling cancer, lost a loved one to cancer or who are in remission. Olczyk, who played his final NHL game with the Blackhawks on April 9, 2000, was also honored with One More Shift before the game Sunday.
Here are Five Questions with … Eddie Olczyk:
You were getting chemotherapy when you were part of Hockey Fights Cancer night with the Blackhawks last November. How did it feel going into the game this year?
Yeah, it's still very emotional for sure, knowing where I had been and where I am now and knowing that this is one of the greatest initiatives the League has ever been a part of and to know how important it is because it touches us all. [It's good] to be on the right side of the grass, to be feeling good and to have some sort of normalcy. Hopefully just [letting] people know my story and hopefully trying to inspire someone to battle through it or to make someone's day a little brighter. There are so many emotions. It's way different than a year ago at this time.
Do you still think about cancer on a regular basis?
Yeah, it's very fresh. And when you're in the so-called public eye, you see people on a daily basis that are asking you how you're feeling and wishing you well. It's hard not to have it be a part of my life and I think it always will be, just because I'm going to have to deal with it and personally, professionally and family-wise. But it is very raw and still very fresh. I've got my big scan coming up in February, which will be a year from the time I stopped treatments. I'm still scared, still battling, but it's just something you have to deal with. I would much rather have this than go through the actual physical part of the treatments and the day-to-day grind of dealing with cancer.

You celebrated your son, Eddie Jr.'s wedding Aug. 4, a year to the date after your cancer diagnosis. How was that day?
Well, I mean it was obviously emotional. So much had gone on over the course of the year. I made a promise to Eddie and [Eddie Jr.'s wife] Erika that I'd do everything in my power to be there, and that was hard because I didn't know. It was emotional and a lot of things going through your mind, not only seeing your son get married and welcoming Erika into the family but achieving that goal of being a man of my word and promising them I would be there. Because I didn't know what would happen over the course of the year. Seeing so many people there who had an impact on me and sharing that with them. Aug. 4 will always be an emotional day, but for much better reasons on Aug. 4 of 2018 than on Aug. 4 of 2017. But it was beautiful. It was just nice to see your children and obviously see our child happy and starting his life with someone he loves.
Do you still hear from a lot of people, be it with well wishes or those sharing their own stories of cancer?
Oh yeah. Just letters or cards or random emails or people who you see on the street, and that's important. It's important that people have that outlet to be able to express themselves and to share a story or to let me know that they were with me or that I helped someone get through something. That's kind of been my goal. Going through this, it's like, 'OK, how do I help somebody while I'm sick? How can I reach out? How can I inspire someone? Or keep someone away from it?' That's been the goal. I've just kind of wanted to continue to listen and to support and if someone asks me something, that's my opportunity to help them. It happens a lot and I hope it will continue because that's kind of what I feel as part of my responsibility, to be a good listener, to share a story and just hopefully help someone battle through or put a smile on someone's face. Kind of the approach that we're having as a family and hopefully continue to do that. It's hard not to go a day or two without hearing a couple of stories or get something in the mail, someone wanting to share their story. If it makes them feel good, that's all that matters. That's part of the vision we're having.
You called about 40 NHL games last season, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs. How do you feel being back to a busy schedule this season?
Yeah, getting back to normalcy has been the perfect medicine. I'll have a full schedule, including the playoffs, so I'll probably be on pace for 125 games. Last year I had a lot of time off; as I said, I had enough quiet time to last a lifetime from August until the end of February. I feel at home and it's where I want to be. You hear it all the time, but what a difference a year makes, and for me there's no doubt.