Hockey Hall of Famer and Winnipeg legend, Dale Hawerchuk, has taken a leave of absence from his position as head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Barrie Colts. The 56-year-old took a leave in early September due to a health issue, but wasn't very specific regarding said issue. It has now come to light that the Hall of Famer is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment after a diagnosis in August found him to be suffering from stomach cancer.

When Hawerchuk began suffering from acid reflux symptoms over the summer, he consulted with doctors and had a CT scan performed. The scan failed to show any signs of cancer, however doctors found a tumor in his stomach on August 22, 2019. He is currently undergoing treatment with the goal of the chemotherapy shrinking the tumor, which would allow the opportunity for doctors to remove it. Through the treatment, Hawerchuk has remained optimistic as he battles through "the fight of his life."

He spoke of his treatment and its effects on him; "The chemo has hit me pretty hard. I do it one week and it breaks the body down and then the next week I take a break and build my body up so I can do it again. I have to do that for two months. I really struggle to eat and have a feeding tube, but the last few days I've been able to eat a little bit, too. You've got to keep your nutrition up."

Hawerchuk also noted that his family has been pulled together since his diagnosis. His three children are all staying close to the family home in King City, Ontario. " You don't have anything without your health, your family and your friends and sometimes we underrate that. An illness like this can definitely put things in perspective,” said the former Winnipeg captain.

Hawerchuk was selected first overall in the 1981 NHL draft by the Winnipeg Jets. Following the draft, he would almost immediately become Winnipeg's biggest star after leading the franchise to a 48 point turn around from the previous year. At the time, this was the biggest single season turn around in history. He would also become the youngest player in history to reach 100 points (until the record was broken by Sidney Crosby in 2006), finishing with 103. To add to his already impressive rookie year, the young center would play in the All-Star Game and win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year. The legend would net 100+ points for the next five consecutive years.

After a tremendous 16-year career with the Winnipeg jets, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers, Hawerchuk retired in 1997. He played 1,188 games and ended his stellar career with 518 goals and 1,409 points. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

While Hawerchuk continues his battle, his willingness to fight is nothing short of inspiring and his outlook, enlightening. He was quoted as saying the following regarding his current situation; "Like anything in life, you just got to dig in and go for what your goals are. It's kind of no different than trying to make the NHL. Who knew if I could make it, right?"

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