Hockey community provides overwhelming support for cancer-stricken father of C.R. RoughRiders player Sam Fuss

CEDAR RAPIDS - On the surface, you'd think hockey would be a saving grace right now for Sam Fuss.

The defenseman is playing for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. He was in the lineup Friday night as the Riders beat Madison, 3-2, at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

The sport he loves should be taking away some of the anxiety he's experiencing, as his father, Bryan, is dealing with colon cancer. Bryan Fuss recently had a six-hour surgery to remove his colon and part of his stomach.

But being on the ice is a double-edged sword for Sam Fuss. It takes his mind off of things in a sense, but also reminds him of his dad, who played college and professional hockey and is the reason Sam and his 15-year-old brother Jack play.

'He coached me in squirts, was the guy who got me into hockey,” Sam Fuss said. 'At first, I really just wanted to be home with him. But I'm back now, and I really think he wants me to be here. He really wants me to play hockey. To know what he's going through, it just makes me play harder. I just want to accomplish my goals.”

Bryan Fuss is just 42 years old, much younger than the average colon cancer patient. He wasn't feeling well a couple of weeks ago, experiencing flu-like symptoms that wouldn't go away.

He ended up in the hospital, where he eventually received his diagnosis.

'When I first found out, it was pretty much a punch in the gut,” Sam said. 'I didn't know what to think. It was terrible, obviously. But we have been positive as a family, and he has been fighting on. As of right now, I think everything is going good.”

Fuss left the RoughRiders for a week to return home to Edina, Minn., and be with his father, brother and mother, Brooke. Bryan Fuss still is in the hospital, though Sam said he is improving.

Friends set up a GoFundMe account to help the Fuss family financially with its considerable medical bills. The goal was $20,000.

As of Friday evening, almost $46,000 had been raised.

'It has been awesome,” Sam Fuss said. 'We talk about it all the time. It's just been amazing. We reached our goal in about 12 hours, actually. Just amazing. The hockey community has been amazing, pretty much.”

The RoughRiders (6-30-2) got a go-ahead goal from Liam Walsh with 1:23 left for the win. Defenseman Ben Foley had the other two C.R. goals, including one that tied the game at 2-2 with 10:13 left in the third.

Half of the Riders' wins this season have come against Madison.

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