When Steve Staios had the chance to speak at his introductory press conference with the Ottawa Senators last fall, he opened the session by acknowledging the absence of his wife Susannah.

“I would first like to take the time to thank my family. My wife Susannah is not here today. She is going through health issues and struggles, but is on the mend,” Staios said on September 29, 2023. “I think everyone in this room will get to know her.

Staios, with his typical calm and discretion, downplayed concerns about Susannah’s health. Just 18 days earlier – on September 11, 2023 – Susannah underwent surgery to remove a cancerous mass from her colon.

As Staios began a new chapter with an NHL team, he was simultaneously trying to understand Susannah’s cancer treatment. The timing for him to join the Senators front office was less than ideal and he was willing to give up the opportunity to stay home and aid in Susannah’s recovery last fall.

“I said to Susannah, ‘I can say no to that. I can take a year off,” says Steve. “It was my obligation to her as her husband. I wanted her to know I was willing to do this.

Susanah, however, was not part of this plan.

“The only thing I said to her was, ‘There’s no way you’re putting this year on hold,’” Susannah says. “I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ What are you going to do, sitting next to me for nine months? You’re going to do your thing.

Susannah’s health issues began in early 2023, while Steve was still working in the Edmonton Oilers front office.

“I hadn’t felt well for several months,” says Susannah. “I’m not the type of person who visits the doctor very often. I’m a healthy person, I eat well and I’m active, so going to the doctor is usually the last thing on my mind.

Doctors sent Susannah for a battery of tests, culminating in a colonoscopy in July 2023.

Steve immediately sensed something was wrong when the hospital phoned him as Susannah’s colonoscopy procedure was finishing.

“I saw on the caller ID that it was Oakville Hospital calling and I knew something was going on,” Steve says. “They told me to come back right away because they found something.”

Steve vividly remembers sitting with Susannah in a small room in the hospital, where a doctor gave the grim diagnosis.

“The doctor simply told him: ‘We found a tumor. You have colon cancer.

Susannah’s memories of this specific moment are not as clear, as she was still groggy from the procedure.

“They actually said the word cancer at the time, but I was just coming out of anesthesia, so it didn’t really impact me,” Susannah says. “But I saw the look on Steve’s face and I saw his concern.”

Steve remembers walking back to his truck in the hospital parking lot, feeling like his whole world was turned upside down.

“It was so out of left field that I wondered if it was real,” Steve recalls. “It made no sense because Susannah was so fit and healthy.”

The news put a damper on the couple’s joint 50th anniversary celebration, which took place a few days later. And they also had to break the news to their two children – son Nathan and daughter Ella – who are both in their 20s.

“It was hard to tell them. We didn’t sugarcoat it, but we tried to stay positive. We told them, ‘Mom has this diagnosis, but everything will be fine,’” Susannah remembers. “And our kids were fantastic and very supportive.”

From that point on, Susannah says Steve’s organizational skills and penchant for completing tasks with a high degree of efficiency took over.

“Steve just took over the project. We worked hard to find the right oncologist and doctors,” says Susannah. “And in early September, I had surgery to remove the mass. »

The procedure to remove the malignant tumor in September did not mark the end of Susannah’s cancer journey. In November 2023, she began undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

These treatments coincided with a tumultuous time for Steve in his new role as president of hockey operations for the Senators. During that same window, the club was stripped of a first-round pick, suspended Shane Pinto for 41 games, and relieved general manager Pierre Dorion and head coach DJ Smith of their respective duties. Steve ultimately assumed the role of CEO himself on December 31, 2023.

During all of this, Steve regularly commuted between Ottawa and Oakville to be by Susannah’s side for her chemotherapy treatments. But when her job prevented her from returning home, Susannah’s support network stepped up.

“The support from his family and especially his friends in Oakville was overwhelming,” says Steve. “They were with her every step of the way.”

And when Susannah was able to ring the bell at the Juravinski Cancer Center in Hamilton last February, her youngest sister was by her side for the poignant moment. Thinking back to that day, Susannah’s voice cracked with emotion.

“I was able to get up from the chair and walk to ring the bell. It was definitely emotional because everyone is clapping for you, but they don’t even know you,” Susannah says, wiping away tears. “And you have this support from strangers and this wonderful connection. And you look around and suddenly feel resentful towards people who aren’t as healthy as you.

The Staios family has this moment when Susannah rings the bell captured on video and can draw on it whenever they need a moment of perspective.

“It’s a very proud moment for her,” says Steve. “I think she realized how much tenacity and courage she had.”

Steve and Susannah are teenage sweethearts, they met while Steve was playing OHL hockey in the early 1990s. Their relationship has spanned over three decades and Susannah’s journey with cancer has been one of the chapters the most important in their history.

“It’s been a tough year, but I wouldn’t change a thing. So much good came out of it,” says Susannah. “It just adds to our family’s history.” It brought the four of us closer together.

“I am so proud of Susannah. It’s really hard to put into words his encouragement for me to keep doing what I was doing,” Steve says. “You never think you’re going to be faced with something like this. We had very difficult days and nights. I always knew Susannah was amazing before this, but this took things to another level.

As the Senators celebrate Hockey Cancer Night at the Canadian Tire Center tomorrow, Susannah wants her fellow cancer patients to understand that better days are on the horizon.

“It just builds your perspective and your confidence. Your outlook on life is better. I think I’m more patient now with everyone and everything,” says Susannah. “I want people to realize this is not the end. There is an incredible life after going through this difficult time.