Olczyk, reporting from Ball Arena in Denver, started his segment by reading off the names of 18 of his friends who are currently fighting. He said he didn’t have any Hockey Fights Cancer cards with him, so he wrote down the names on a yellow legal pad instead.
Fighting back tears, he then shared some personal moments from his own battle.
“One of my biggest problems is that I didn’t want to let anybody in,” Olczyk said. “I wanted to deal with it by myself. … The one thing I had to learn and learn the hard way was you need to let the most important people in your life help you. Let them love you. Let them help you get through this difficult challenge.”
Back in the TNT studio, Liam McHugh and the rest of the studio analysts shared their support for Olczyk.
“Every year your message is so strong and amazing,” McHugh said. “This year is no different. Personally, I love you. I’m so happy you’re here. I’m so happy that you keep raising awareness and delivering this message.”
He continued: “I just hope that people know what you said, which is that … you’re never, ever alone. Ever.”
Olczyk’s son, Nick, chimed in on social media in support of his dad.