Sea Dogs defenceman continues fight off the ice

The season may be over for the Saint John Sea Dogs but the battle rages on for one player on the team.

Oliver Felixson hasn't been on skates since he received his cancer diagnosis two days before his birthday.

"It feels weird, but I don't even feel like going on the ice," he said.

 "We just have to take care of this first and then I can start thinking of hockey again."

The season for the six-foot six-inch Finnish defenceman was abruptly cut short in March when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the blood and lymph nodes.

'Good so far'

Since then, Felixson has returned to his family's home in Helsinki after beginning treatment in Canada. Last Thursday he finished his third round of chemotherapy and at the halfway point is starting to see positive results, he sad..

"I got good results from the scans a few weeks ago and so the chemo is working and everything is going good so far," Felixson said. "So I'm feeling good."

During the two weeks between each treatment, Felixson said, he's been able to start doing light workouts.

"The second week, I've been able to, like, do stuff," he said. "Which has been, I think mentally really important."  

Felixson said he has also spent his downtime watching his team work its way through a strong playoff run. As difficult as it may be to not be a part of what he calls a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the support he's been getting from friends and fans has meant a lot.

'Big part of our group'

A big boost came during the Memorial Cup, when the team's longtime equipment manager, David (DK) Kelly, made sure Felixson was represented at the tournament. Kelly tweeted out photos showing a reserved spot in the Sea Dogs change room sporting Felixson's name and jersey.

"It was important to make him a part of it," Kelly said. "He's a big part of our group."

Kelly has also been fighting cancer and returned to the team part way through the season after several rounds of treatments. Since Felixson received his diagnosis, he and Kelly have been keeping in touch.

"I know how much everything meant to me when I was out," he said, adding it was important to make sure Felixson knew how much he remained a part of the team, despite his absence. The gesture was not lost on Felixson.

"The thing DK did, well he obviously knows what I'm going through. Just keeping me a part of the team, it's been really nice by all the guys."

'Warrior on the ice'

Team captain Spencer Smallman said Felixson was a major inspiration during the playoff run.

"He's a guy that we really miss, he's a warrior on the ice," Smallman said. "We really looked to him for motivation where we needed it."

Before returning to Finland, Felixson said he was able to make it to the first games of the President Cup finals. He said that simply being in Harbour Station and seeing people created a special moment.

But the deluge of messages of support he's been getting from fans has left Felixson speechless.

"All the time like, I get so many messages," he said. "I don't know what to say."