Former Blackhawk Bryan Bickell Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis
(Source)–Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that forward Bryan Bickell has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
“First and foremost, the most important thing is for Bryan to take care of himself and our thoughts are with him and his family,” said Francis. “He will need to take some time to rest in the immediate future, and we will support him as he takes the necessary steps for his health. We ask that his privacy be respected during the process.”
“Since the 2015 playoffs, I’ve been struggling to understand what was going on with my body. Again during the past few weeks, it felt like something wasn’t right,” said Bickell. “Obviously this is a bit of shock for my family and me, but I am hopeful I will be able to return to the ice and continue playing the game that I love.”
Wow. Shocking and horrible news coming out of Carolina for Bryan Bickell. Incredibly difficult thing for a guy with a young family to go through. He mentioned that he had been struggling with his body since the 2015 playoffs. If you remember, Bickell missed games with what was diagnosed as Vertigo. No idea if that’s related, but it feels significant now. Hopefully he is able to get treatment and live a full life. He was always a great guy in the community and known as a good in the Blackhawks locker room too. Just an awful story to read.
Best of luck to Bryan and the Bickell family as he deals with this disease.
