John Cullen Returns To The Ice

John Cullen will return to the ice Friday for the first time since winning a year-long fight with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Thoughts of his aggressive chemotherapy and bone-marrow transplant will fade into the background for a couple of hours as the 34-year-old center vies with younger, fitter players for his old position on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tampa, along with the Buffalo Sabres, are using the International Challenge tournament in Austria to kick off their pre-season training.

On Tuesday, when the Lightning posted a convincing 4-1 win over European champions Feldkirch, Cullen sat on the bench.

Tampa Bay coach Jacques Demers and general manager Phil Esposito promised Cullen, who hasn't played a game since March 1997, that he'd get his chance during Friday's showcase final of the Challenge Cup against the Sabres in Innsbruck.

"It's been a long, tough ride, and just to be back on the ice is incredible," said Cullen. "This is my 12th training camp."

"You wouldn't think a veteran would enjoy camp, but I really, truly am."

Just 18 months ago, playing hockey had become torture for Cullen, who suddenly started having chest and throat pains, sore teeth, and was finding it difficult just to skate the length of the ice.

Assuming it was a chest infection, Cullen chose to ignore his suffering, with his team three points out of the hunt for a playoff berth.

Worried about her usually stoic husband's complaints, his wife called team officials before a game against Hartford, and a large, dark shadow on Cullen's chest X-ray was discovered.

Though a tumor was listed among the possible causes, Cullen said he "never for a second gave cancer any consideration."

The next day, March 29, 1997, a CT scan and biopsy revealed the presence of a grapefruit-sized tumor in his chest. P>Despite six grueling months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, traces of the cancer still remained.

In October, Cullen underwent a painful procedure in which bone marrow was drilled out of his lower back, "purged" or cleansed, then reintroduced into his body.

Four days later, his heart stopped beating for almost a minute before doctors were able to resuscitate him.

The aggressive treatment proved effective.

Six months ago, Cullen was told he's cancer-free, although he'll have to undergo regular tests to make sure the disease stays in remission.

"My main motivation to get better was my wife, daughter and family," said Cullen, who lost 40 pounds along with all his hair during treatment. "Hockey was another motivation, but not the main one."

The next five years, when the cancer is the most susceptible to return, will be the toughest for Cullen.

"When I get a cold , I think, `Oh my God, it's back,"' said Cullen, who has since regained all his weight. "I sometimes panic a bit when I'm not feeling well. I call my doctor and he tells me it's OK, I'm allowed to get colds, it's normal."

"It'll never end. When you get cancer, you fight it for the rest of your life, always worrying and wondering."

For the moment, however, Cullen is worrying and wondering about his first NHL game in a year and half.

"When I told Phil (Esposito) about the tumor, he was very upset, but I said, `Don't worry, I'll be back,"' said Cullen. "He must have thought I was crazy, but here I am."

"It's going to be good to get out there and get banged around again."

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