Boy With CF Honored By Pro Hockey Team

Reilly and his parents, Sean and Laurie Hoagland are all smiles at the Prudential Center as they watch the New Jersey Devils defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0. (Photo courtesy RWJBarnabas Health)

NEWARK – A Toms River boy diagnosed with cystic fibrosis was honored by his favorite hockey team recently.

Reilly Hoagland, 11, of Toms River, enjoyed watching the New Jersey Devils shut out the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 Dec. 29 at the Prudential Center in Newark.

He got to meet his favorite player, Nico Hischier, after the game. He attended the game with his mom and dad, Laurie and Sean, a friend, and Barnabas Health Medical Group team members. RWJBarnabas Health is the official healthcare provider of the New Jersey Devils.

Reilly, an avid Devils fan, was diagnosed with CF back in 2011. He’s played hockey and other sports since he was a young child and has never let his diagnosis stop him.

After the Devils victory, Reilly enjoyed meeting with his favorite player, New Jersey Devils star and the #1 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Nico Hischier. (Photo courtesy RWJBarnabas Health)

In 2012, with his family he created Reilly’s Rock Stars, an organization committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis.

Since his diagnosis, Reilly has been treated by Robert Zanni, MD, a pediatric pulmonologist affiliated with RWJBarnabas Health’s Monmouth Medical Center, and a member of the Barnabas Health Medical Group.