Back to the Colorado Avalanche Newsfeed

Brian Boyle, diagnosed with leukemia last summer, is the emotional center of NHL All-Star Game

TAMPA, Fla. — Brian Boyle was wrong.

When it was suggested that he may get the biggest ovation inside Amalie Arena on Saturday night, as the 2018 NHL all-stars were first introduced ahead of the skills competitions, he shook his head slightly.

“They got the four guys here. They’ll be cheering for them and they should be,” Boyle, a 33-year-old forward for the New Jersey Devils, said of the Tampa Bay Lightning fans. “Because those guys are phenomenal players and great people. I’m just happy to be kind of a part of this whole thing.