Mathew Barzal has built a reputation for lifting up young New York Islanders fans. This time, one of those fans ended up giving him something back.
The winger, who still has not played this season while dealing with lingering knee problems, was surprised Tuesday morning on “Fox & Friends” by Tommy Ryan, a young Islanders supporter whose recovery from a rare form of leukemia has been nothing short of extraordinary. Ryan spent 150 days in the hospital, went through a medically induced coma and had his left lung removed. He has now been cancer-free for a year, and he has said the Islanders and Barzal helped carry him through some of his darkest moments.
Barzal said he keeps the bracelet Ryan gave him at a game on his car dashboard, where it’s become a daily reminder.
"I got Tommy's bracelet that he gave me at our game, you know, hanging on my car dashboard," Barzal said. "And occasionally I look up at it, and I have hard days right now, but just remembering what he went through and even just seeing him here today, man, gives me life and belief that I'm gonna be all right."
The connection between the two started when Barzal FaceTimed Ryan while he was in the hospital. They later met at UBS Arena in March, when Barzal handed Ryan a signed stick with the message, "You inspire me!"
That sentiment came back around on Tuesday.
"You grow up, you know, idolizing other hockey players, and then you get put in this position," Barzal said. "You know, I'm inspired by Tommy right now, and I look up to him in a way."
Barzal’s focus remains on getting healthy and back on the ice. But for now, Ryan’s story has given him a different kind of lift.
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