ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tyler Murdoch is a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning and a bigger fan of their goalie.
"Always [Andrei] Vasilevskiy," Murdoch told Tampa Bay 28's Kyle Burger. "Watching him take over after (Ben) Bishop and just dominate the way he has is unreal."
WATCH: Tyler Murdoch opens up about his brain tumor diagnosis to Tampa Bay 28's Kyle Burger
The 33-year-old Bay Point Middle School teacher goes to several games a year, but was extra-excited to take his girlfriend, Emily, to her very first Bolts' game on Sept. 26 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
"I got section 110, row R, seats one and two for my girlfriend and I," he recalled. "I was going to give her the aisle seat. She had never been to a Lightning game, so I wanted to really spoil her."
The couple climbed 2021 Jeep Wrangler and they were on their way.
"We took a shortcut to Gandy Bridge, because sometimes the traffic on 4th Street can be kind of bad," Murdoch said. "I looked to my left out the window. I told my girlfriend that 'Something feels off.' Next thing I knew, I woke up in an ambulance."
They never made it to their seats inside Benchmark International Arena.
Murdoch had a seizure and lost consciousness behind the wheel. That’s when Emily took action, unbuckling her seatbelt, grabbing the wheel and attempting to steer.
"She had to take control of the wheel and avoid cars, houses and trees," Murdoch said. "She was super brave and super courageous."
Emily was thrown through the roof of the Jeep — surviving with a small fracture on her cheek.
Murdoch still has the black 2008-style Lightning jersey, found at the site of the accident, that Emily was going to wear to the game.
"Unfortunately, you can see it's covered in dirt. It flew out when we rolled three times," he said.
At the hospital, tests revealed the cause of the seizure was a brain tumor the size of a plum.
"Being 33, I am super-healthy, I go to the gym 3-4 times a week, I cook all of my meals. It’s not something you would expect at all," Murdoch said. "A lot of anxiety behind it. Definitely getting wheeled down to the surgery was a moment I never want to experience ever again. A feeling of loss, very scared, very alone. Wasn’t sure if I was coming back."
Murdoch recovered in four weeks. He's back at work but still going through radiation therapy, and waiting to take Emily to that Lightning game.
"I already looked at section 110, row R, seats one and two," he said. "When that time comes, when we are healed up, this was a very traumatic event, we’re very excited to go back to a game."
A GoFundMe has since been set up to help cover medical costs.
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For Tampa Bay 28 Sports Anchor Kyle Burger, pride in our local teams goes beyond college and the pros. Sports connect us as communities and families. You can connect with Kyle to share your passion for your local athletes below.
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