

Ahead of the 2017-18 NHL season, the New Jersey Devils announced that Brian Boyle had been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. Within seconds of the news getting out, fans and players around the league reached out to the veteran to show their support for him during the tough time.

While most people expected him to take the year off to focus on his health, the Hingham, Massachusetts native made it clear that he was focused and determined on taking the ice with his teammates later that season. Not only did he live up to his word by playing that season, but he went on to play 69 regular season games and five postseason games, and also won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The New Jersey Devils paid a visit to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night and it just so happened to be the Pens’ annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night and it was an emotional night for Boyle in more ways than one.



While Hockey Fights Cancer Nights will always be emotional ones for Boyle, especially with all the support he continues to get from Devils fans and fans around the league, Monday night’s contest was easily the most memorable one for him as he recorded his first career hat trick to lead his team to a win.



Boyle has scored two goals in a game eight times over his 12-year career, but this was the very first time he tallied a hat trick and it just so happened to land on Hockey Fights Cancer Night in Pittsburgh.



You can’t make this stuff up.