Johnny Cullen scores in first game back
by Jim Iovino,
Ace Reporter
When Johnny Cullen scored against the Buffalo Sabres on Sept. 18, it
was as if a tidal wave of joy spread across the Atlantic Ocean and
soaked hockey fans throughout North America with a sense of relief
and excitement.
Cully was officially back.
Just 18 months after learning he had a cancerous, softball-sized
tumor in his chest, the LCS Hockey idol and hero for all ages 8 to
80 made a triumphant return to the NHL by scoring the game-winning
goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Sabres in an
exhibition game played in Innsbruck, Austria.
Cullen's goal came halfway through the second period when he
deflected a slapshot by defenseman Michal Sykora past Dominik Hasek
to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead. The Bolts went on to beat the
Sabres 3-0 in the International Challenge, a tournament involving
the two NHL squads and two Austrian pro teams.
The game was Cullen's first since March 28, 1997. The 34-year-old
forward missed all of last season while he battled a form of cancer
called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. After receiving a clean bill of
health this summer, Cullen began training for a return to the NHL.
He was invited to the Bolts training camp immediately after being
diagnosed cancer-free, but didn't sign a contract with the team
until Sept. 9.
Throughout the past year, Johnny Cullen proved that he could defeat
cancer. This past week he proved he still belonged in the NHL.
But for some reason those of us who are fans of Johnny Cullen knew
that already.
Congratulations Cully! We can't wait for opening night!
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