The Blackhawks anounced Tuesday afternoon broadcaster Eddie Olczyk has been diagnosed with colon cancer.
The 50-year-old serves as the color analyst for Blackhawks games on CSN as well as NHL on NBC and was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
Olczyk released a statement Tuesday:
I have been diagnosed with a form of colon cancer and am currently undergoing treatment for the disease. I have been working with outstanding health care professionals and expect to be back in the broadcast booth after I complete my treatment. Having the support and encouragement from my family, the Chicago Blackhawks organization, NBC Sports and all my friends and fans means the world to me and will give me continued strength to beat this. My family and I appreciate privacy during this time as we focus our attention on my treatments.
Blackhawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry released a statement as well summing up the situation:
Last week, Eddie Olczyk was diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent a surgical procedure to remove the tumor. He is recovering well from the procedure and will be undergoing further treatment in the coming weeks, including chemotherapy. We look forward to his return to good health after the completion of his treatment.
Blackhawks president and CEO John McDonough provided a statement on behalf of the organization:
NHL
Eddie Olczyk is a treasured member of the Chicago Blackhawks family and we will be supportive of him as he fights this disease. We encourage our fans to keep him in their thoughts as we all look forward to having him back in good health as soon as possible.
Olczyk is wildly popular among fans and is a Chicago guy through and through. He grew up in Palos Heights, Ill., went to Brother Rice Catholic High School and was drafted by the Blackhawks in the first round of the 1984 Draft. He played with the Hawks from 1984-87 and came back to the Windy City for the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons after stops in Toronto, Winnipeg, New York, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Olczyk family at this time.