Vegas Hockey Knight
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Interviewing cancer survivor and Golden Knights superfan Izzy Woodward and her family

There's nobody tougher than someone who beats cancer three times. Why is Izzy Woodward one of the strongest people you'll ever meet?

By Jacob Walters

NHL
NHL / NHL
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Once upon a time, there was a princess warrior from a kingdom called Las Vegas who fought an evil creature. That creature was demonic and took down anything that stood in its path. This evil being was known as neuroblastoma, a cancerous ailment that attacks the adrenal glands.

The name of the princess warrior was Izzy, a brave soul who took on anything in her path. Whether it was cancer or opposing hockey players, she stood fearless. The princess warrior vanquished the evil neuroblastoma once, who only tried to battle her again. She defeated the cancerous illness and won once more. Now, Izzy was cancer-free and she went back to her kingdom to tend to her people.

This is the story of Izzy Woodward, a nine-year-old Vegas Golden Knights fan who conquered cancer three times, a remarkable feat. She got to appear at the 2024 NHL Draft and be drafted by the Hockey Fights Cancer team, courtesy of the Golden Knights, the NHL, and AstraZeneca. With Gary Bettman, Nic Hague, Kelly McCrimmon, and over 18,000 fans watching her bravery, they applauded Izzy's courage and congratulated her on being cancer-free.

The nine-year-old got an HFC jersey and was featured on ESPN as the Hockey Fights Cancer Draft Hero presented by AstraZeneca. Izzy and her family live in Las Vegas and are huge Vegas Golden Knights fans. She watches every game with her mom Tierra McCullah, dad Royce Woodward, and brother Aiden.

So what it's like meeting one of the strongest people in today's society? What does it mean to be a warrior and tackle any challenge that heads your way? That's what was discussed with Izzy Woodward's family, who can take on any challenge after dealing with the perils of cancer.

NOTE: Thank you to AstraZeneca (and Izzy Woodward and her family) for making this happen, for Izzy and all parties involved. The NHL world heard about her incredible story and how she inspires others.

More on the program

Get Body Checked Against Cancer with AstraZeneca – a public health campaign launched in partnership with Hockey Fights Cancer (a joint initiative of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) powered by the V Foundation for Cancer Research).

Campaign background information:

  • Since November 2023, AstraZeneca has teamed up as an official partner of Hockey Fights Cancer™, a joint initiative of the NHL and NHL Players Association, powered by the V Foundation for Cancer Research on an important public health campaign dedicated to educating and empowering the hockey community to Get Body Checked Against Cancer.
  • While body checking gives players an advantage on the ice, Get Body Checked Against Cancer aims to encourage education and action among hockey fans to know their cancer risk factors and talk to their doctors about screening options right for them. Our hope is that this campaign encourages people to face cancer with courage.
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