Colton Parayko, hometown hero and defenceman for the Stanley Cup-winning St. Louis Blues, brought the cup to St. Albert and the region on Wednesday to dazzle members of the community.
Parayko made a stop at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in the morning to help lift the spirits of some sick kids.
Ben Thomas, a five-year-old who is suffering from a type of cancer called Wilms tumour, was shocked to see the cup come to the hospital where he was getting chemotherapy.
His mom Erica Thomas said the young hockey fan was excited to see the cup, despite the fact that he wasn’t feeling great from the chemo he had been receiving.
“It certainly perked him up a little bit. And for the rest of the day, he kept telling all the nurses about it, and then that night telling his siblings about it. I think it definitely, definitely was a highlight for him in these last few kind of crappy months,” the mom said.
Thomas said the event wasn’t just special for her son, but for all the kids at the hospital.
“There's a lot of really happy, excited kids there, which, you know, when they're going through what they're going through, any little thing that makes this journey a little less crappy is a gift for sure,” Thomas said.
“Anything that brings a little bit of joy in their life and allows them to just be a kid instead of a patient for a little while is a huge blessing,” Thomas said.
Thomas said the family has met a few other professional athletes along their journey but said meeting Parayko was a special experience.
“Colton definitely had a warmth and softness to him that you don't often see in professional athletes. Ben usually plays pretty shy with people but he was totally fine with Colton and gave him a high five and was right in there,” Thomas said.
The mom said the day was special for the parents too, who were able to see their kids be happy for a little bit.
“Anytime you see joy in their faces right now, it doesn’t break your heart but it hits your heart,” Thomas said.
Next, Parayko headed over to the Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament at West Edmonton Mall where he surprised the young hockey players there with the Stanley Cup.
Ossie McIntyre, a 10-year-old St. Albert hockey player with Team Brick Alberta, was amazed to see the Stanley Cup in his dressing room before the game.
“He thought it was the greatest thing ever,” dad Brody McIntyre said.
“He was so happy. He thought it was the coolest thing ever. He said, ‘Maybe one day I could win it,’ ” Brody said.
Brody said it was an inspiring moment for his son to see the cup but it was even more awesome for him to see a hometown hero from St. Albert with it.
Parayko spent part of his day in St. Albert, taking the cup for a walk through his grandfather’s neighbourhood and celebrating privately with his friends and family.
The NHL player then spent the evening at the Canadian Brewhouse for a private event with his friends and family.
Jolee Smith was able to meet Parayko at the Brewhouse and said it was an incredible experience.
“Colton is a very kind and humble person who was so happy to share the excitement of bringing the Stanley Cup home to his community,” Smith said.
The mother said it was amazing for her nine-year-old son, who is a massive hockey fan, to meet Parayko on Wednesday.
“It was about more then just seeing the Stanely Cup in person – it was also an incredible opportunity to show my son what is possible. That with hard work, determination, a positive attitude, you can achieve your wildest goals, and through it all to stay humble and kind is what matters the most,” Smith said.
Parayko could not be reached for an interview.
