John Walton, the longtime radio voice of the Washington Capitals and the former voice of the Herhsey Bears, revealed that he was diagnosed with colon cancer on Tuesday.
Walton would share the annoucment in a statement on X
Some personal news to share, and it’s a little rough. I’ve been diagnosed with colon cancer. pic.twitter.com/gD2JZMRItq
— John Walton (@JohnWaltonPxP) August 27, 2024
""On July 29th, I had a colonoscopy exam that at the time I thought would be routine and nothing out of the ordinary. It turned out I could not have been more wrong. I was shocked to learn that I have colon cancer.""John Walton
"Tomorrow, I will undergo surgery to remove between 8-10 inches of my colon and the mass that is formed there. I'll be in the hospital for a few days to recover, and home after that to continue my recovery. My prognosisaccording to my incredible doctors at MedStar Health is good. It will be a few days after the surgery until I know what comes next, but if all goes well, I will be at training camp in a few weeks, and in the broadcast booth for the first preseason game."
"I will be in the fight for a bit, but it's a fight I'm going to win. I am so incredibly thankful for my hockey and MSE family who have been so supportive of me through this time, and I won't be down for long. I tell you all of this for just one reason. If you're 45 or older, get checked for Colon Cancer. Don't put it off, get it down for you and your family. As shocking as the news was for me, I'm so glad that I did."
Walton has been with the Capitals since 2011 as the radio play by play voice and before that he would spend nine years in Herhsey as the play by play voice of the Hershey Bears and additionally done work for NBC Sports calling select Stanley Cup playoff games and women's hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Fans, writers and the Caps alike sent along well wishes:
We are all with you, John! ❤️ https://t.co/CcvZVK5bkX
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 27, 2024
Wishing you strength and healing - know that you’re surrounded by love and positive thoughts. We are here to support you every step of the way. https://t.co/dn9yYdRazS
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) August 27, 2024
Hey John, thinking of you and your family. You’ve got this 💪🏻 Best of luck with the surgery, can’t wait to see you back in the booth.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) August 27, 2024
Sending love and prayers to an amazing person and mentor. You got this, John! We're all behind you and you WILL beat this and be back where you belong, in the booth, very soon. https://t.co/LFqkzRUXnq
— Zack Fisch (@zackfisch) August 27, 2024
We know John Walton can beat this disease. He's done amazing work throughout his decades in the booth and we believe too that we'll see him back up in his perch just in time for the preseason. He's an incredible broadcaster and an even better person off the ice.
Wherever we are around the globe, he takes us there. He narrates the game and he does it to the best of his incredible ability.