The New Jersey Devils may have lost 3-2 to the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night, but forward Brian Boyle had a giant personal victory.

He scored his first goal since being diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in September. Boyle took advantage of a rebound and sent one to the back of the net with 5:33 left in the first period to give his team a 1-0 lead.

“I’ve never cried after a goal before. It’s a lot. It’s everything,” Boyle told MSG Networks during a first-intermission interview. “These guys, my wife, my kids, they’ve been through a lot too, my parents, my siblings, it’s a good feeling. Let’s hope we stand up and make it count tonight.”

 

Following the game, Boyle gave credit to his teammates for their support through it all.

“These guys have gone through the whole thing with me,” he said. “They’ve been phenomenal. They’ve taken some of the brunt as well. They’ve had my back and been supportive.”

The 32-year-old from Hingham, Mass. was diagnosed during training camp, and had to miss all of preseason and the first 10 games of the regular season due to receiving treatment.

He started to feel fatigued in August while he was running around chasing his kids. Then, the results from his blood test came in uncovering CML, a form of blood and bone marrow cancer.

”I didn’t know what to expect,” Boyle told Sports Illustrated. ”I was scared. I was nervous. It was the worst feeling ever. After the initial shock wore off, I started to think about the rest of my life, my wife, my kids. Hockey was a little down on the scale.”

He was cleared to return to practice in late October, and played in his first game for the Devils on Nov. 1.

Boyle is still reportedly taking pills each morning to treat his disease. But, on the ice, he’s just like any other player in the NHL, pumping his fists and hugging teammates following a big-time goal.