Cam founded The Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care in 1995 in memory of his parents, Michael and Marlene, who both were diagnosed with cancer. After having been a family member of a cancer patient, Cam understood firsthand the needs of the family to be close to their loved one while they’re being treated for cancer. With this, The Neely House was built to fulfill that need. He also realized what the other needs of patients were, such as bright and fresh hospital rooms and family waiting spaces and cancer research, which would help to ease the overwhelming experience of cancer treatment and built upon that by building new departments within Tufts Medical Center.
Cam Neely is also the current President of the Bruins. On July 16, 2010 he became just the eighth man to hold that position in the history of the franchise. He oversees all of the club’s hockey and business operations. He assumes his current position in his fourth season in the team’s front office, as he returned to the organization in September, 2007 as a Vice President and Alternate Governor of the club.
Originally a 1983 first round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks, Cam Neely came to Boston in a June, 1986 trade. His potent blend of offensive talent and a punishing physical presence quickly endeared him to Bruins fans and he became one of the most revered players in team history. He earned four NHL Second-Team All-Star berths in Boston, led the team in goals for seven seasons and in points twice and he still ranks fifth overall on the club’s all-time goal list and ninth overall on the team’s all-time scoring list. He is the club’s all-time leader in playoff goals and ranks seventh overall in team history with 87 career playoff points.
Cam became just the fifth Bruin in team history to record a 50-goal season when he set a club record for goals by a right wing with 55 in 1989-90 and he was just the second player in team history to record consecutive 50-goal campaigns when he followed that with 51 tallies in 1990-91. His 50 goals in only 44 games in 1993-94 tied as the second-fastest such feat in NHL history and was all the more remarkable because he had missed most of the previous season with thigh and knee injuries. The 1993-94 winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy was forced into retirement by those injuries in September, 1996. The Bruins retired his number 8 in January 12, 2004 ceremonies and he was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005. In September 2010 Cam was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy, which is awarded annually for outstanding service to hockey in the United States.
Cam Neely and his wife Paulina have two children, Jack and Ava.
Categories: Health Care - Inspiration / Survivor, Local to New England, Sports
