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(Submitted photo/Henderson Silver Knights)
MANNY VIVEIROS

Former Prince Albert Raider reveals he has prostate cancer

Oct 29, 2021 | 4:27 PM

A former Prince Albert Raider and current American Hockey League (AHL) coach has revealed he’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Manny Viveiros is the head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights, the AHL affiliate team for the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.

He talked more about his diagnosis during an interview with HSK Today earlier this week.

“I had to take a leave of absence at the first part of the season,” Viveiros said. “We’ve been trying at the very early stages a game plan of what we want to do going forward.”

“Now that we have one in place through the doctors, we have an opportunity now to go after this and treat this. I’ve been able to get back to work, which is, for me, a really important part of my life.”

Viveiros returned to his coaching duties as the Silver Knights practiced on Thursday, in preparation for a two-game series against the Bakersfield Condors Friday and Saturday.

(@HSKnights/Twitter)

Vivieiros spent four seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders in the 1980s including the 1984-85 campaign which saw the team win its first WHL Championship. In those playoffs, Viveiros had 11 points.

He would later play 29 games for the Minnesota North Stars and over 240 games with the AHL and the now-defunct IHL. He won the Calder Cup championship with Springfield in 1991.

He later took his talents to Europe, eventually retiring as a player with Klagenfurt AC in Austria in 2007. He became their head coach the following year.

Before taking the head coach job in Henderson, Viveiros coached the Swift Current Broncos to the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL Champions in 2018.

Viveiros said he’s happy to be back practicing with the Silver Knights and that the future looks promising.

“We’ve got some very positive news where the doctors are quite confident that we have a good chance of curing this and in fact beating it,” he said.

He first found out about the diagnosis after taking a blood test, something he said saved his life and could save others.

“I can’t help but encourage people, especially if there’s a history in their family, to go get a simple blood test. That can make a world of difference in the future.”

derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @PA_Craddock

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