Sports
Blackhawks' Patrick Kane Gives 8-Year-Old Boy 'His Best Christmas Gift' a Month Early
All it took was an act of kindness by the NHL All-Star who stopped and made the young fan's day.
Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane is doing his part to help U.S.-Canadian relations, one young fan at a time. Earlier this week, the NHL All-Star gave an 8-year-old boy in Alberta, Canada, "his best Christmas gift" while the Blackhawks have been north of the border for games against Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton.
The boy, who is a big Kane fan, waited to catch a glimpse of his favorite player as he walked out of the hotel he and the rest of the team were staying at. But he didn't expect the Blackhawks star to wave him over.
Here's how Sharon Mercer, the boy's mom, described the encounter on Facebook and posted a photo of the meeting Monday, Nov. 21:
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Naturally, Kane's actions received praise from Mercer's followers. The update also led another mother Andrea Opiola to share an anecdote concerning Kane's generous streak when it comes to fans:
"My 11 year old daughter was devastated when we were too late to stand in line for Patrick Kane's autograph at the Winter Wonderland Fest last year. Tears and all. I told her not to worry, one day she would meet him. In February, I took my husband and 4 kids to Bowl with Seabrook. It was towards the end of the night and again, she was devastated. There was no chance she could fight that crowd to even get a glimpse, let alone his autograph. I told her to stand in a specific spot as I could see the players making their way towards the exit. And what do u know- Patrick walked past with his body guard, looked over at my daughter and stopped. Not only did he take a selfie with her, that is now an 8x10 and hangs in her room, he signed her jersey. Tears of happiness filled that little girls face, maybe moms too ;)
"What a nice guy!!! Truly a class act and makes us proud to be Hawks fans!!"
And Mercer did get her wish: Kane did see her update and enjoyed meeting her son, according to an online response by the Blackhawks organization.
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Hockey players might have reputations as bruisers and tough guys, but Kane proves they can be big softies off the ice.
Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (photo via Patch archive)
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