“Come Together, right now” – The Beatles, Come Together, Abbey Road, 1969.
For all the talk that hockey is a fierce, unrelenting sport with warrior types everywhere, it is also a community that comes together when one of its own needs them the most. Last year, NHL.com’s Brian Compton – one of the most respected and talented writers and editors on their staff – was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS). It was a jarring development that left not only Compton and his family, but those across the hockey world stunned.
Now, Compton is using his platform to raise awareness in search of a cure. In just under two weeks, on Saturday, May 17th, Compton, his family and what he estimates to be about 30 friends/colleagues, will participate in The MS Walk at Jones Beach.
To help spread awareness of Brian’s story and to do our part in trying to find a cure, Blittner’s Blue Line caught up with Compton to discuss his diagnosis and the upcoming event.
*Editor’s Note: Questions and Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Blittner’s Blue Line: What was your initial reaction to your MS diagnosis?
Brian Compton: “Initially, when they thought it was MS in the hospital, I was terrified. You don’t really know a whole lot about the disease and you think everything’s terrible and you’re gonna end up in a wheelchair one day or God knows when. But as the weeks went on and I officially was diagnosed, after seeing my neurologist in July, there was kind of a little bit of a relief, just knowing what it was and maybe not something worse.
“Being a husband and a dad, you want to be around as long as you can. My neurologist assured me that 10, 15 years ago, there wasn’t a whole lot that he could do. But modern medicine has just been fantastic and it’s hopefully gonna keep me healthy for a long time. And who knows if we can maybe find a cure here in the next couple of years, we’ll see.”
Blittner’s Blue Line: Some people in your situation would sit back with a passive attitude, but not you. You’re going out and being proactive by taking part in an event like The MS Walk at Jones Beach. Why?
Brian Compton: “Being passive isn’t gonna get me anywhere. It’s not gonna make me better. The whole ‘woe is me’ thing, was there a little bit of that at the beginning? Yeah, there was, but there’s only two ways you can go. You can accept what’s going on and fight against it or you can sit back and just wait for something bad to happen to you. I’m not about to do that.
“My family is the most important thing in my life and I’m fighting not just for me, I’m fighting for them. I wanna be around for them for a long time. Not just be around, but do the things that I’ve always done with them. One day they’re gonna have kids and I wanna have a catch with them or walk on the boardwalk at the beach with them. Do all that fun stuff as a grandfather someday, hopefully. You combine that with the platform that I have, the people who do have MS that I’ve spoken with, they’ve begged me essentially to use my platform to help.
“This can be a very cruel disease for a lot of people. I’m one of the fortunate ones to still be able to go to work every day and do the things that I still want to do. There are days when I’m exhausted, I don’t feel like doing anything and that’s my body telling me to just chill out for a day, which is fine. But I’m making sure that there are more days where I can do the things that I want to do. That’s what’s most important to me.”
Blittner’s Blue Line: Roughly how many people are you expecting to be part of your team at Jones Beach on May 17th?
Brian Compton: “It’s been overwhelming and humbling. Again, it goes back to my family. This is why I fight, ’cause I just have so many people in my corner. So we’re probably gonna have roughly 30 people walking with me at the beach, which is just amazing. Some don’t even live on Long Island. They’re just gonna come for the day and hang out. The walk starts at 8:00 AM, so it’s gonna be bright and early at Jones Beach. They’re gonna be there for me, which says a lot about the people who are in my corner. It’s gonna be a tremendous day. Hopefully, the weather cooperates.”
Blittner’s Blue Line: Is this walk a one-off event for you or do you plan on being involved with future events?
Brian Compton: “This won’t be a one-off walk. I intend to do this year in and year out. I don’t know about other events. The MS Society has been great. They’re gonna let me know about certain things if I’m interested in participating. If it’s something that I can do, I’ll be there. This isn’t just about me, this is about people who have this disease far worse than I do. So, if there are other events that I can participate in, with the platform that I have, I’m glad to help.”
Blittner’s Blue Line: What’s your message to people in your situation?
Brian Compton: “It’s not just people in my situation, it’s everybody. Don’t take anything that you have for granted. You never know what the next day is gonna bring when you get out of bed. I didn’t have any plans of this happening to me. As the story said, this happened to me leading into Father’s Day, which is obviously a very special day for me. It was an emotional Father’s Day last year for me. That was the day after I got out of the hospital and was still trying to figure out what the hell was gonna happen to me. So, just don’t take anything for granted.
“Be grateful for what you have, embrace it. Bad things are going to happen to you. It doesn’t necessarily have to be MS. Everybody has adversity that they have to overcome. It’s about embracing that challenge head-on as opposed to sitting back, ’cause there’s nothing good that’s gonna come from that.”
For those wishing to support Brian, please visit: https://events.nationalmssociety.org/index.cfm?language=en&referrer=mf%3A595368%3Ayou-donate&fuseaction=donate.participant&participantID=595368
(Photo provided by Brian Compton)
Now, staying out on Long Island, Monday night brought Islanders fans together in a way they have not been in quite a while. For the first time since 2009, the New York Islanders have won the NHL Draft Lottery and have the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
The Isles are still searching for a new President of Hockey Ops as well as a new General Manager, but the job just became A LOT more appealing to prospective candidates. Defenseman Matthew Schaefer is the favorite to go Number One overall, but local Center James Hagens, who hails from Hauppauge, is also in the running for the top spot. And what a story that would be if the Isles were to draft a lifelong fan of theirs with the Number One pick.
Elsewhere around The League, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing with the Second Round getting started on Monday night. The playoffs are a long way from complete, but there’s no doubt that the two Game Sevens this past weekend certainly helped cement this postseason as one of the best in recent memory. For those of you who want to have a further discussion about the action that took place on Saturday and Sunday, as well as other top-notch hockey conversations on a weekly basis, you can check out mine and Jim Biringer’s NEW show, The Blue Line Blast Podcast.
