Nadia Popovici - 2022 Musial Awards

The old adage “if you see something, say something” rarely applies to sports. And even though an NHL game between the Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks was only a backdrop for Nadia Popovici to notice something that saved a stranger’s life, had the hockey game not occurred she likely would have never seen it. Seated behind the Vancouver bench, what Popovici noticed was an irregular mole on the back of the neck of Canucks assistant equipment manager Brian Hamilton. As a pre-med student, Popovici suspected the mole to be cancerous, but was hesitant to say anything. Deciding she couldn’t let the opportunity pass, Popovici typed a message on her phone and got Hamilton’s attention long enough for him to read the note. Hamilton later saw a doctor who confirmed the mole looked concerning and had it removed. Weeks later, it was diagnosed as a malignant melanoma, which may have never been caught if Popovici wasn’t sitting behind the Canucks bench that day, and if she didn’t have the courage to speak up.

Since 2005, the nation’s best sports have come together in St. Louis for the Musial Awards®, the most important awards in sports. Named for baseball hall of famer Stan Musial, the Musial Awards honor the year’s greatest moments of sportsmanship and the biggest names in sports who embody class and character.

Learn more at MusialAwards.com.

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