Former Blues enforcer, diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in November, together with Blues and NHL alumni helped raise $400,000 (and counting) for Siteman Cancer Center, The V Foundation for cancer research

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- There was Kelly Chase, front and center on Friday doing what he does best: entertaining family, friends, ex-teammates, ex-opponents, smiling, laughing as if he didn't have a care in the world.

For those that know one of the toughest pound-for-pound skaters that ever donned a St. Louis Blues jersey thinks he's in a good place, and the 56-year-old most certainly is today, but it wasn't like that going back to November when Chase was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Luekemia that has endured countless amounts of chemotherapy treatments, hospital stays and just a nuisance to every day life.

But for Chase, who helped orchestrate Friday's 'Puck Cancer' charity hockey game between Blues alumni and NHL alumni at Centene Community Ice Center, this wasn't about him. It's about helping fight a disease that affects so many humans not only in the hockey community but all around the world.

"I happened to get this bounce, whether it's a bad bounce or a realization bounce," Chase said. " It affects people in all different ways. But for me, I wanted to give back because I feel like, not only did it touch me personally; it could have saved my life, it's also ... we've been in so many hospitals for so many times and tried to help people feel good for a minute or two but we have to leave and go on to our next thing. There's always so many asks. For me, I wanted to do something that was more impactful, and I think this will be and I'm grateful for all the support.

"I'm extremely grateful, but I also look at it like I think everyone's been affected by (cancer). It's not a one-time thing, there's nobody that's going to be here that has not been affected by cancer in some way, shape or form, right? I've been supported in so many ways by this city at so many different times, it's overwhelming, and then the brotherhood of the hockey players, sports community, entertainers. I'm pretty happy, pretty grateful and pretty proud of them."

Friday's game drew a sellout crowd of over 3,000 that raised $400,000 and counting, and the Blues and Blues alumni presented a check for $600,000 prior to puck drop supporting the Siteman Cancer Center and The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

"There's no close brotherhood like it," Chase said. "I don't think unless you're in the military, you know the uniqueness of that group of guys and what it means. It's funny, hockey's always had a way of weeding out guys that maybe didn't fit or guys that weren't good guys. You just find the overwhelming support."

That support brought in some of the top Blues alumni and hockey names from years past for a great night.

"All of these guys have been through different battles on the ice to where some of that might come back a little bit," Blues and New Jersey Devils alumni Cam Janssen said. "They're going to raise a lot of money. 'Chaser' talks about Siteman's all the time and how good they are."

"I honestly wished we didn't have to be here, but we are," said Blues great and hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull, one of Chase's closest friends and teammates in St. Louis. "I don't think it's particularly unique to hockey. Pretty well every sport, when something like this comes up, nobody's going to say no. This just shows the hockey family that we have and it's not just 'Chaser,' there's a number of guys that have fallen ill and to get them all together and see the guys you haven't seen in forever that you played with and against. To see them and to visit and to tell stories, everyone's smiling but deep down everyone knows it's kind of a somber reason we're here, but we're here to make sure everyone recognizes what it's all about and raise some money to help one day get a cure for all these terrible things."

It was a no-brainer for anyone that got an invite to come and help raise awareness/money and to make it a star-studded gathering.

"He called me up and invited me to come down here and I said, 'I'd love to come and see you,'" said former Blues coach and three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach with the Chicago Blackhawks Joel Quenneville. "I've been talking to him, thinking about him and standing here with Tony Granato, they're almost going through the exact same thing. It's been tough what they have to deal with on a daily basis, two of the toughest guys you'd ever want to meet and they're handling this thing in an amazing way. They're fighting and they're competitive and there's been some real good progress and positive. Nobody can put a party on like 'Chaser' can.

"The hockey community is spectacular. His support group is as extensive as you're ever going to find, anybody in any capacity."

Chase goes in for another round of chemo on Sunday, then goes in for a bone biopsy on May 10 to find out that there's no tissue at all, old cancer cells in his body.

"When I find that out, it'll be a great feeling, but I don't want to get ahead of myself," Chase said.

"I've never Googled Leukemia," he said. "I don't even know what the hell it is. I know what it is (now), but that's maybe why, it's too hard to spell! But honestly, I don't think like that and I don't think there's anything good about telling me to do that. I just thought about them telling me they can get me on a winning team. So I'm like, 'Alright, that's what we've got to do. We've got to get on the winning team.' And I asked the question, 'Is there two teams?' And he's like, 'Yeah, yeah.' So I said, 'OK, let's get on the winning team.' So then after that, I kind of tried, and there have been some slip-ups, but I'm listening to the doctors. I've tried listening the best that I can and get the advice of the people that are way smarter than me at this."

According to hockeyfights.com, Chase had 174 fights in his 11-year NHL career. No. 177 is the toughest one yet.

"One thing, it doesn't pick and choose how big and tough you are," Chase said. "Cancer, it affects everybody. ... There's some tough customers that have had battles with cancer and not maybe come out on the right end of it. I feel like I'm going to win this battle. I feel like it's just another fight. The one thing about this fight is, you don't mind fighting. You want to see the size of the guys. This guy's big and he's tough and he fights with both hands and he can take a punch. For me, I feel like I'm on the right end of it right now, I've got to shake off my elbow pad and punch him in the mouth a few more times and make sure that when he's down, he damn well stays there."

Having former teammates and opponents there Friday was important for the cause, including Granato, Darin Kimble, Brian Boyle and Troy Murray.

"Tony Granato, Darin Kimble going through it three-and-a-half years by himself right here locally and no one knowing. That is a tough way to do it," Chase said. "For me, having Tony, Brian Boyle, certainly Troy Murray is fighting a different type of cancer. For a lack of a better term, we're the Make-A-Wish kids for the game or the fundraiser. We talked about it (Thursday) night, the three of us got a picture under the Puck Cancer sign (Chase, Granato, Murray). ... It's a battle. It's no joke, but you know what, I think having the right attitude and right people supporting you around you is a big difference maker."

One thing's for certain, for those around him, they know Chase will beat this.

"We've talked and it doesn't matter how strong you are because it'll zap you of that," Hull said. "But as long as you're stronger than it is from the neck up, and I don't know if there's anyone stronger. I think he's got it licked.

"If you want to feel sorry for him, he'll be the first guy to kick you out of his room. ... Let's cure this so we don't have to do it anymore."

"I think he's doing good though. I think he's doing good," Janssen said. "I see his face, he's got energy. ... The hockey community is so tight-knit, and it's a huge community too. Everybody knows each other. They understand the hockey mentality, and they understand when things like this go down, which happens to a lot of people, cancer is somewhat a way of life for families, everybody. Everybody knows somebody that has it. We're going to raise a ton of money and we're going to have a fun time doing it."

Also included in the lineup for Friday included Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, who lost his mother to breast cancer; country music singers Garth Brooks, Dierks Bentley and Trevor Rosen.

Chase, who took the pregame warmup and had a shift on the ice, was also represented by his three sons, Will (24), Ben (22) and Luke (20).

"I've been taking a lot of heat because of the bike and push-ups and the sit-ups," Chase said. "They said if I would have worked that hard when I wasn't in the hospital, I still would have played another 10 years. It's been great.

"I feel great. I'm probably as good as I feel until the end of April because I go in for chemo again on Sunday. ... I crawl out of the hole and keep battling and hopefully it's the last time I have to go in there. I'm in remission right now and hopefully that means it just stays away."

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TEAM ROSTERS

Blues Alumni

Coaches: Brett Hull and Joel Quenneville

Skaters: Rick Zombo (4), Barret Jackman (5), Dierks Bentley (7), Nelson Emerson (7), Scottie Upshall (9), Brenden Morrow (10), Mike Keane (12), Geoff Courtnall (14), Paul Cavallini (14), Scott Mellanby (19), Brendan Shanahan (19), Jamal Mayers (21), Jeff Brown (21), Lawson Kimble (29), Kelly Chase (39), Will Chase (39), Luke Chase (39), Ben Chase (39), Trevor Rosen (41), Scott Young (48), Cam Janssen (55), Pierre Turgeon (77)

Goalie: Brian Elliott (1)

NHL Alumni/Celebrities

Coaches: Sean Payton, Tony Granato, Garth Brooks

Skaters: Chris Joseph (2), Chris Butler (5), Chris Chelios (7), Jamie Huscroft (7), Adam Graves (9), Ryan Malone (12), Ray Whitney (14), Sheldon Souray (14), George Parros (16), Kevin Maguire (18), Adam Hall (18), Jim McKenzie (19), Ed Belfour (20), Brian Boyle (22), Reid Simpson (33), Jesse Boulerice (36), Adam Burish (37), Kraig Nienhuis (38), Dave Couler (90)

Goalies: Ben Scrivens (30), Michael Garnett (35)

Additional attendees

Blues: Jim Campbell, Blake Dunlop, Bruce Affleck, John Wensink, Bob Hess, Neil Komadoski, Mike Zuke, Guy Carbonneau, Doug Weight, Darin Kimble, Marc Bergevin, Garth Butcher, Perry Turnbull, Bernie Federko, Mike Lalor, Tony Twist, Martin Brodeur

NHL: Paul Kelly, Bryan Trottier, Brad Marsh, Stu Grimson, Glenn Healy, Troy Vollhoffer, Trevor Lewis

Officials: Tim Peel, Derek Amell