Avalanche to Host Hockey Fights Cancer Night, Presented by UCHealth Sunday Against New York Islanders
When the Avalanche hosts Hockey Fights Cancer Night presented by UCHealth on Sunday, the team will honor six cancer warriors; Teryn Howell, Kate Showalter, Jackson Stroud, Karissa Goossen, Danny Packard and Colin Kiesel. Earlier this season, these cancer warriors attended morning skate and were able to meet some of the Avs players along with Head Coach Jared Bednar. Their unique stories are inspirational, and the Avalanche is honored to have them in attendance for Hockey Fights Cancer Night.
After recovering from a breast cancer diagnosis, Goossen was then diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2024. While finishing treatment in May, it was discovered that the cancer had spread to her skin. Goossen is from Douglas, Wyoming, and attends as many Avs games as she can.
Howell is currently fighting a rare type of cancer on her small intestine. She lost her mom to cancer which has shaped how she’s approaching her journey. Howell is an avid hockey fan and is attending her first game in years.
Kiesel was diagnosed with primary pancreative adenocarcinoma. He has been receiving an experimental treatment for a rare NRG1 gene fusion that has dramatically reduced his tumor markers and he’s currently feeling great. He is joined tonight by his wife and four-year-old son.
Packard was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 21. He overcame seven surgeries and was the first-ever recipient for support from the DAWG Nation Hockey Foundation. He is an avid Avalanche fan and is now cancer free.
Showalter was diagnosed with an extremely rare type of cancer that began in her salivary glands and spread to her neck and ear. She was told she was terminal in August 2022 and is now the first to survive her type of cancer. At the University of Colorado hospital, she fully recovered.
Stroud was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma after finding a mass in his spine at the age of 15. The mass was removed when he was 19 and is now in remission at 22 years old. Stroud is a hockey player of nine years and a big Avalanche fan.
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