Arvanitis Granted Leave of Absence

Published on February 26, 2007 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Oklahoma City Blazers News Release


Oklahoma City, Okla. - The Oklahoma City Blazers granted assistant coach Peter Arvanitis a leave of absence, Blazers head coach Doug Sauter announced today.

Arvanitis, in his first season as assistant coach with the Blazers, was granted the leave of absence to attend to family matters concerning his daughter Maria Anna. Last Friday, Maria Anna was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She is undergoing treatment at Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia afflicts 4,000 in the United States each year. Most of the cases are diagnosed in children under the age of 10. This form of leukemia is the most common form of Leukemia in children and statistically has the best prognosis.

"Things are going as well as we can hope for," said Arvanitis. "Maria Anna is responding well to her therapy, but she still has a long road ahead of her. My wife Patricia and I are taking this situation day by day."

"Pete and his family are in our minds and in our hearts," said Sauter. "He is free to be involved with the team if his schedule permits. However, the most important thing right now is for him to be with his family."

-BLAZERS-

NOTE: The Blazers will skate in three games in three nights beginning Thursday at the Ford Center against the Austin Ice Bats at 7:05 p.m. Friday evening, Oklahoma City begins a home and home series with the Wichita Thunder at the Kansas Coliseum at 7:05 p.m. The weekend concludes Saturday evening at the Ford Center against the Thunder at 7:35 p.m.



Central Hockey League Stories from February 26, 2007


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