(Story by Ian Colpitts of the Mississauga News - http://www.mississauga.com/sports-story/5806540-funds-help-popular-coach-s-fight-against-cancer/)

Tyler Cragg, a popular hockey coach from Mississauga, doesn't care much for being the centre of attention. He just likes to go about his business.

However, the outpouring of support he's received from the minor hockey community since Tuesday has been overwhelming and greatly appreciated.

Cragg, a longtime coach and president of the Toronto Junior Canadiens, is going through the fight of his life right now as he battles Glioblastoma Multiforme, a rare form of brain cancer that affects less than three out of every 100,000 people.

For the past few months, he's been living with his family in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, while he also recovers from a minor stroke suffered as a result of a brain surgery earlier this year.

To help alleviate some of the costs associated with his recovery, Cragg's family has created a fundraising page on GoFundMe.com with the hopes of raising $55,000.

Within a day, they were halfway towards that goal. The total is now over $35,000 and counting.

"We're a pretty private family, so it's overwhelming to say the least," Cragg's older brother Richard said during a phone call from Cape Cod.

The fundraising campaign was launched on Tuesday, Cragg's 44th birthday.

Cragg, born in B.C. and raised in a military family, was also general manager of the Canadian Ice Academy in Mississauga before taking a leave of absence.

Since April, 2013, Cragg has had three brain surgeries. He returned to work shortly after the first two, but suffered another recurrence in March while coaching the Canadiens minor midget AAA team in the OHL Showcase Cup. The stroke that followed his third surgery left him with right side deficits and challenges with speech.

The money raised through his GoFundMe page will go towards a personal speech therapist, additional physical therapy seasons and medical costs not covered by insurance.

Over the years, Cragg has coached a number of notable players such as Alex Pietrangelo and  Cody Hodgson, both top 10 picks in the 2008 NHL Draft.

One of his more recent pupils is Mississauga Steelheads goaltender Spencer Martin, who seems to be on the verge of turning pro within the Colorado Avalanche's farm system.

Martin played three years with the Junior Canadiens and remembers how the team got progressively better thanks in large part to Cragg's influence.

"He brought a team together pretty much full of not the most skilled players in our age group, but made them the best team I've been a part of just in terms of us all being brothers," said Martin, who has still kept in touch with Cragg since moving on from minor hockey.

"He was the centre piece of all that and he gave me the best three years you could ever have in minor hockey."

Despite being in his mid 40's Cragg displayed the kind of personality that made most people think he was still in his 20's, according to his brother.

Under the circumstances, Cragg is still optimistic. Doctors gave him a prognosis that he has already surpassed, but his brother said the family didn't pay attention to the prognosis or any statistics explaining how severe GBM is.

"Like anybody in that situation, he has his up days and his down days," Richard said. "Sometimes he gets frustrated, but he has a passion for life and that's what keeps him going… He's not giving up."

For more information or to help Tyler out, visit www.gofundme.com/CoachTyler.