The former Northeastern forward (class of 2011) is beaming, with a spray of forest in the background, not a cloud to be found over Stanley Park in Vancouver.

The seaside photograph of Wade MacLeod, with wife Karly and daughter Ava James at his side, is full of sunshine and smiles.

“I know . . . you look at him and you think, ‘Come on, are you serious, this guy’s really sick?’ ” said family friend Mike Armstrong, knowing the harsh background to his pal’s story that can’t be seen in the picture. “But we just don’t know what’s going on inside our bodies sometimes.”


McLeod, 31, underwent his fourth brain surgery last Sunday and now, contending with Grade 3 brain cancer (glioblastoma) is “in for the fight of his life,” according to Armstrong, who last weekend started a GoFundMe page aimed at supporting MacLeod and family.

MacLeod, who was to play for a third season in Germany (Dresden) in 2018-19, was originally diagnosed in 2012-13 when stricken while playing for the AHL Springfield Falcons. He underwent surgery then, and this summer, with the return of seizures, had a third surgery early last month, only to have to undergo the fourth operation the day after the picture was snapped in Stanley Park.

“It’s just gotten progressively worse,” noted Armstrong, reached by telephone last week in Surrey, British Columbia, not far from MacLeod’s home in Port Moody. “The diagnosis is very, very bad . . . the cancer has come back with a vengeance.”

MacLeod, who graduated from Northeastern with a degree in business administration, led the Huskies in scoring for his final three years while playing for coach Greg Cronin. A 5-11, 170-pound left winger, he grew up outside Vancouver, was never drafted, but turned pro with Springfield immediately upon finishing his senior season for the Hounds.


As the weekend approached, the GoFundMe page, dotted with the names of current or former NHLers such as Cory Schneiderand Shawn McEachern, already stood at around $75,000 in less than a week.

The goal posted on the page is $100,000, but Armstrong made it clear the MacLeods, with Wade’s playing career seriously jeopardized, will be challenged financially for a considerable time.

“The response has been absolutely amazing,” said Armstrong, who went ahead with his fund-raising efforts after the OK of MacLeod’s mother, Colleen Essery, and mother-in-law, Carrie Rempel. “Sometimes thoughts and prayers aren’t enough. Wade and Karly were somewhat hesitant. You know, Wade’s a pretty proud guy, and I said, ‘Listen, when you’re in the fight of your life, you have to set your pride aside and you have do to whatever it takes.’ ”

With MacLeod now home from his surgery at Vancouver General Hospital, the funds, according to Armstrong, will be used for ongoing medications not covered by Canada’s national health plan and will aid him in perhaps pursuing nontraditional or experimental treatments.

“He’s been through the loss of speech, and having to go through speech therapy . . . and then carrying on his dream to play wherever they would allow him,” said Armstrong, considering the arc of MacLeod’s ordeal. “He was actually thriving in Germany and was ready to go back this August . . . then the surgeries began again . . . and here we are.”


Northeastern’s Mike Hewkin (left), Wade MacLeod (center), and Ryan Ginand celebrated a Ginand goal in 2009. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeKPD.