26 years ago, the NHL launched Hockey Fights Cancer, an initiative dedicated to the fight against cancer. The league not only supports through donations and appeals for donations, but above all it focuses on education, organizes events and draws attention to the fate of affected people and their families.
For the NHL teams, but also their players, promoting activities is a matter of course and an integral part of the calendar. They wear purple jerseys to special games and pass on the proceeds to good causes, for example for the treatment of cancer patients or cancer research purposes. As part of the initiative, the NHL is now cooperating with organizations that are dedicated to this framework. Each NHL team makes a special dedication to the fight against cancer on one game day during the season in November.
Cancer awareness is also present for Tim Stützle, German NHL attacker and top performer for the Ottawa Senators with 25 points (9-16) after 21 games. The Senators’ number 18 likes to be socially involved, especially when it comes to children, as he naturally told NHL.com/de on Wednesday after the morning skate: “Yes, of course! For us it’s only maybe 10 to 15 minutes in which we bring the children into the locker room after the game, talk to them, maybe sign a bat. It may be time out of our day, but it helps the children incredibly.” And Stützle’s teammates also feel it is important to get involved not only in campaigns and short meetings with fans, but also on a regular basis: “A lot of boys do that with us. We also go to the hospital again and again and visit patients.”
Visits to a hospital for children with cancer are close to the 22-year-old’s heart. The fate of a young fan was not easy for Stützle and his Senators. The eight-year-old has since died, Stützle reports in an interview. “That really affected us, the whole team here. Also because he was always around us, after the games, in our dressing room.” The left-handed shooter now knows the parents of the young “super fan”, as he describes him to us, well and carries the memories of them with him as special moments . He also knows that there are a lot of these fates and that he will continue to be socially involved as far as he is able: “People are dying of cancer all over the world and we are trying everything we can for a good cause. We support as much as possible.”
Stützle, who was selected third in the NHL draft by the Senators in 2020, is considered one of the greatest talents in German ice hockey. His qualities in the league are not only underlined by his nomination for the NHL All-Star Game 2022. Stützle has now recorded 100 goals and 172 assists after 306 NHL encounters. He is ambitious and tries to get better day by day with video analysis off the ice and with performance on the ice. Although he has now established himself in the NHL and earns several million dollars a year, he has a simple message, especially in these times with upcoming family celebrations: “Family is the most important thing. Always support the family, loyalty is one of the most important values.”
Despite his age, Stützle seems very reflective. He also thinks about men’s health and thinks it’s good that health issues are being addressed in the league. In addition to “Hockey Fights Cancer,” the outgoing month of November is “Movember” dedicated to men’s health. It is an annual global movement to raise awareness of issues such as prostate cancer, testosterone deficiency and mental health in men. The mustache is a symbol of Movember and is intended to help promote the campaign.
A lot of NHL players have grown mustaches in the past four weeks, including Senators players. However, Stützle is not among those who wear a mustache for a special reason. Although he also supports this campaign, he admits with a smile on his lips: “Yes, I don’t really grow a beard. You wouldn’t see it if I let it grow.”
