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Blackhawks legend Stan Mikita diagnosed with oral cancer

Stan Mikita

Most people’s lives have been touched in one way or another by cancer and the Chicago Blackhawks family is dealing with a longtime member of theirs in for a fight of his own.

The Blackhawks announced this afternoon that legend Stan Mikita was diagnosed with Stage 1 oral cancer. Dr. Richard Borrowdale of Loyola Medical Center, who is treating the Hockey Hall Of Famer, says that the prognosis is positive for Mikita to get healthy.

“Stan has been diagnosed with an early base of tongue cancer and the prognosis is excellent. He will be treated with external beam radiation therapy.”

Mikita played for the Blackhawks for 22 seasons from 1958-1959 until he retired after the 1979-1980 season. Over that time, Mikita amassed 541 goals and 1,467 points. Four times in his career he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer and he’s a two-time Hart Trophy winner as the league MVP. Mikita, along with Bobby Hull, helped lead the Blackhawks to the 1961 Stanley Cup.