At just 14 years old, Landon Maloney is preparing for the toughest fight of his life.
Like so many kids in the hockey community, Landon has spent much of his childhood at the rink. A dedicated player in the Colorado Springs Tigers organization, hockey has been far more than just a sport for him. Hockey has been his passion, his friendships, his routine, and a major part of who he is.
This season, Landon should be focused on practices, games, and making memories with his teammates.
Instead, he is battling cancer.
A Diagnosis No Family Expects
For months, Landon complained of pain in his leg.
Doctor’s appointments came and went. Multiple medical evaluations and two visits to the emergency room provided no clear answers. As the pain continued to worsen, Landon somehow kept doing what hockey players do best: showing up.
During Colorado Springs Tigers tryouts this summer, teammates and coaches watched Landon battle through the pain without complaint. Shift after shift, he continued to compete, refusing to let anyone know how much he was hurting.
Only later would everyone learn why.
After being referred to a sports medicine specialist, testing revealed something no family ever wants to hear.
Landon had osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer.
The cancer had developed in his left tibia and had already begun causing significant damage to the bone.
What followed happened fast.
Additional imaging, specialist appointments, consultations with orthopedic oncologists, and treatment planning brought the Maloney family to Children’s Hospital Colorado, where they received devastating news.
Not only would Landon need immediate chemotherapy and major surgery, but because of the severity of the cancer and its impact on his leg, he would likely never be able to play hockey again.
For a young man whose life has revolved around the game, the news was heartbreaking.
A Road No Child Should Have to Travel
Landon has already begun chemotherapy and faces months of treatment ahead.
The current plan includes:
- Approximately 10 weeks of chemotherapy
- Major surgery on his leg
- Additional chemotherapy treatments following surgery
- A lengthy recovery process
Doctors are still determining whether the affected portion of Landon’s leg can be salvaged through reconstruction or whether amputation will ultimately be necessary.
The uncertainty is overwhelming.
Yet through it all, Landon continues to show what true hockey toughness looks like.
His family, friends, teammates, and coaches describe him as a fighter. The kind of kid who refuses to quit. The kind of teammate who never takes a shift off.
Today, that same determination is helping him face the biggest challenge of his young life.
A Family That Gives Back
Landon comes from a family that has dedicated their lives to serving others.
His father, Colton, serves the community as a firefighter.
His mother, Arlene, works as a school administrator, helping support and guide students every day.
Together, they have spent their careers protecting, educating, and caring for others.
Now they find themselves facing the unimaginable.
While Landon undergoes treatment in Denver, the family is balancing long hospital stays, travel expenses, missed work, mounting medical bills, and caring for Landon’s two younger sisters.
The emotional toll is difficult enough.
The financial burden continues to grow.
The Hockey Community Has Already Responded
One of the most beautiful parts of Landon’s story is the incredible response from the hockey community.
Across Colorado, youth hockey players have begun wearing yellow ribbons featuring Landon’s number, 87, on their helmets.
Teams that have never played with Landon are sending photos, messages, encouragement, and support.
Former teammates, coaches, opponents, and families have united to remind Landon that although cancer may take him away from the ice, it can never take away his hockey family.
Because of who Landon is and the impact he has had on those around him, the support has been overwhelming.
And it’s just getting started.
Benefit for Landon
On November 15th, the Colorado Springs hockey and first responder communities will come together at Sertich Ice Center for a special Benefit for Landon event.
The day will feature:
🏒 Colorado Springs Tigers 14U Exhibition Game
MAIN EVENT: 🚒 Fire vs. 👮 Police Hockey Game
🎟️ Tickets: $10
🕚 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Sertich Ice Center
The event will celebrate Landon, raise funds for his family, and remind them they are not fighting this battle alone.
How You Can Help
Cancer has already taken so much from Landon.
It has taken away a season of hockey, a sense of normalcy, and many of the experiences every teenager deserves to enjoy.
But it cannot take away his courage.
It cannot take away his family.
And it cannot take away the hockey community standing beside him.
Dawg Nation is raising funds to help support Landon and his family as they navigate chemotherapy, surgery, travel expenses, rehabilitation, lost income, and the many unexpected costs that come with a pediatric cancer diagnosis.
Every donation, no matter the size, helps ease the burden and allows the Maloney family to focus on what matters most:
Helping Landon win this fight.
Landon may will always be a teammate.
He will always be part of the hockey family.
And he will never fight alone.
Play Hard. Play Fair. Give Back. 🏒💛
