When Gabriel Colon beat Corey Crawford (presumably glove-side) his dream came true.
Gabe is 12 years old and battling cancer.
The Chicago Blackhawks, in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, invited Colon to skate with his favourite NHL team Monday. The boy was given his own personalized sweater and even picked up a few tips from stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
“I’ve played hockey before, and I just really love the Hawks,” Colon told CSN Chicago after practice. “I’ve always wanted to skate with them, so being able to skate with them was just amazing.”
Colon has been diagnosed with acute lymphoid leukemia.
“He had some really good shots, first one he put off the crossbar, but then it came down and hit the crossbar and went in,” Kane said of his young teammate.
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“We were working on some passing out there and we put him through a couple tough drills at the end, he had to shoot a lot of pucks,” Kane added. “I think he was a little tired. He was good though and had fun, that’s all that matters.”
The NHL is in the middle of a month-long initiative to battle cancer. Both the Senators and Ducks will host their Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Nights Wednesday.
Hockey Fights Cancer was founded in 1998 by the NHL and its Players’ Association. To date, more than $12.8 million has been raised under the initiative to support national and local cancer research institutions, children’s hospitals, player charities and local cancer organizations.
(via CSN Chicago)
