2yr old's great game

[Swimbait2009]

Hey guys...thought I'd share this story with everyone. I am out in San Jose, CA visiting my family, and we went to the Oilers/Sharks game on Tuesday night. It was a pretty decent game, but it was my 2yr old nephew's 2nd game and we were thrilled that he enjoyed it. My father bought tickets to Tuesday's game against the Oilers several weeks ago, and we were lucky enough to be seated directly behind the Oilers bench. Most of the game, the Edmonton coaches and players went about their business without much interaction with the fans behind, which I can appreciate as I would find it very distracting to have 17.000+ people peering in at me through my office window. Towards the end of the third period, with the Sharks up 2-0, a puck left the ice and found its way into the lap of Tom Renney, Edmonton's coach, behind the bench. Renney immediately turned around, where my nephew had been sitting/wandering for the past 2+ periods and handed the puck over the glass for him to take home as a souvenir. With his team in a 2-zip hole, I thought this was a very shining example of good sportsmanship and goodwill towards a clear fan of the other team (my nephew was decked out in his Sharks jersey and Sharks hat), and an experience that my family will not soon forget. Tom Renney is alright in our minds! While my nephew is currently too young to undestand exactly what happened, I hope to recount the tale to him when he is older. I thought you might find this story heartwarming in this holiday season, as it sure put smiles on all of our faces!

Happy Holidays to everyone! See you all on the ice (rink/lake)!

-Seth

[OnAFly]

Cool story. I bet he'll never forget that game.

[The_Diesel]

That is cool. Even though they're in the national spotlight a lot, all those guys are still human beings and I like to think they can remember what it was like to be those kids watching in awe as the guys they paid to watch did their thing. I saw Cal Clutterbuck handing a lot of pucks over the boards before a Wild game I went to once as well. Thought that was pretty neat. Even though it was in the pregame warm-ups, he still didn't need to take time out and just kind of mess around with the little ones on the glass. I think most professional athletes in sports across the boards are like that, but it's the few big-named ones who have a big head that give everyone else a bad name.

I can recall going to Packer's training camp when I was younger. I asked Chris Darkins if I could carry his helmet for him as he walked back to the locker room and signed autographs. When we got there, he brought me inside a 'players only' fenced in area, took a picture with me, gave me his gloves and signed them for me. He never made it off the practice squad, but that picture and glove still hang in my parent's living room. I'll never forget that and I hope your nephew can be proud to tell his story, too, some day.

[cbrooks]

Awesome story. I do think hockey player and coaches are the most down to earth amoung the major sports.

[Bear55]

Cool story.