Pavel Novak announces he’s cancer-free

The Minnesota Wild are busy wrapping up their preseason in preparation to start their regular season next week, but we might have just got the most important news in a very long time.

Announced via an Instagram post, Wild prospect Pavel Novak has beaten cancer.

“Hello everyone,” Novak wrote on Instagram. “After a few months of troubles, I’m happy to share with you that I beat the cancer.

“There is no better feeling than to be healthy again. I would like to say thank you to all the doctors who helped me to get over this. You’re my heroes. The biggest thank you to my parents and sister who always supported me and went thru all treatment with me. It wouldn’t work without you. Also thank you to everyone who was praying for me! I’m really excited about what the future brings.”

In June of this year, Novak led the world know that he was currently going through cancer treatment, and five grueling months later, he is able to make this announcement. An incredible effort from the young player.

Obviously, the main issue is him regaining his full health and making sure he can live a full and healthy life, but this quick turnaround might suggest him getting back on the ice sooner than expected. Every experience with cancer is different, but one example of a player going through something similar is when Oskar Lindblom was on the Philadelphia Flyers. After going through a year-long process, he was able to announce that he was cancer-free in Dec. 2020, and just one month later, he made his return to the NHL, playing on Jan. 13, 2021.

Who knows what Novak’s future holds, but we know that we cannot be happier for the youngster.