NJ Devils Put Smile On Face Of Young Hockey Superfan Battling Cancer

NEWARK, NJ — It was a puck drop that the New Jersey Devils will always remember – as well as 12-year-old hockey superfan Theo Koshenkov.

The Devils hosted their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night last week, later facing off against the Washington Capitals at the Prudential Center in Newark.

The promotion raised funds for the Oncology Healing Room within the Cancer Center at Clara Maass Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility.

As part of the event, the Devils hosted Koshenkov and his family at the game. Koshenkov – an East Brunswick resident – was diagnosed with Lymphoma earlier this year. He is currently receiving treatment at the Rutgers Cancer Institute, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Koshenkov’s game day experience included a one-day contract signed by General Manager Tom Fitzgerald, an official team-signed jersey and locker stall, and 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 in the week, Koshenkov and his family also got to attend a practice and meet the team (article continues below).

During last week’s matchup, the Devils also 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 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.

Both are part of the health care team that is treating Koshenkov.

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