NJ Devils Put Smile On Face Of East Brunswick Boy Battling Cancer

NEWARK, NJ — It was a puck drop that 12-year-old hockey superfan Theo Koshenkov will always remember.

The NJ Devils hosted their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Saturday, facing off against the Washington Capitals at the Prudential Center in Newark.

The evening saw the team honor Koshenkov, who was diagnosed with Lymphoma earlier this year and is currently receiving treatment at the Rutgers Cancer Institute.

The evening helped the team raise funds for the Oncology Healing Room within the Cancer Center at Clara Maass Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility.

Koshenkov also got to sign a one-day contract signed by General Manager Tom Fitzgerald, an official team-signed jersey and locker stall. he had a “meet and greet” session with his favorite player, Jack Hughes.

The youth also got a chance to watch warmups from the penalty box, take part in a pre-game locker room experience, participate in a ceremonial puck drop, and ride the zamboni during the second intermission.

Earlier, Koshenkov and his family attended a practice and a meet-and-greet with the team.

During last week’s matchup, the Devils honored Marissa Botwinick, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Rutgers Cancer Institute and the Bristol Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and Dawn Carey, an advanced practice nurse in the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health, as the “Heroes of the Game.”

Botwinick, an East Brunswick High School graduate, is recognized for providing her patients with advanced treatment options, including clinical trials and compassionate, family-centered care, while Carey works collaboratively with physicians, instilling her extensive knowledge and expertise in pediatric hematology and oncology for patients and families since 1996.

Botwinick and Carey are part of the healthcare team treating Koshenkov.

Here are some photos from the event (Courtesy NJ Devils):

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