One young Campbell River hockey player 乌鸦传媒� and fan 乌鸦传媒� recently had a very, very good day down in Anaheim.
Mackinley Whalen, 11, picked up on Ryan Kesler when he was a Vancouver Canuck. She wasn乌鸦传媒檛 really a fan of the team 乌鸦传媒� her parents are both Montreal Canadiens fans, after all 乌鸦传媒� but she certainly did like 乌鸦传媒渢hat number 17 guy,乌鸦传媒� she says, and when he was traded to Anaheim, her fandom followed.
乌鸦传媒淚f he was traded to Toronto, I乌鸦传媒檇 probably be a Leafs fan,乌鸦传媒� she says.
乌鸦传媒淣o you wouldn乌鸦传媒檛,乌鸦传媒� interrupts her mom April, half-jokingly.
So when Kesler went down with injury earlier this season, she decided to write him a letter wishing him a speedy recovery and letting him know they were going to be down that way with tickets to a pair of games.
乌鸦传媒淎t first I was sad that you will not be playing,乌鸦传媒� the letter reads, 乌鸦传媒渂ut I just want you to get better soon. If you are around the arena for those games and feel like some popcorn I乌鸦传媒檓 willing to share mine with you.乌鸦传媒�
The letter included her seat number for each game.
Apparently, April had added her cell number to the letter before it was sent, because she got a text message from Kesler letting them know he planned on joining them during the Ducks/Predators game Nov. 3. She didn乌鸦传媒檛 tell Mackinley, though, because she thought it would be better as a surprise.
乌鸦传媒淚t was so awesome,乌鸦传媒� Mackinley says. 乌鸦传媒淗e came down and I thought, 乌鸦传媒榠s this a fake person trying to tease me or a joke or something?乌鸦传媒� but then he sat with me and had popcorn乌鸦传媒nd watched almost the full period with me.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淗e was so down to Earth and engaging,乌鸦传媒� April says. 乌鸦传媒淗e was genuinely interested in everything she had to say. Even my husband said, 乌鸦传媒業 wanted to hate the guy, but I couldn乌鸦传媒檛. He was so nice.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
The Whalen乌鸦传媒檚 go down to the U.S. fairly frequently to watch hockey, because it乌鸦传媒檚 actually significantly less expensive than going over for a game in Vancouver.
乌鸦传媒淲e can fly down to Anaheim or Florida for a game and including the flights and hotels it乌鸦传媒檚 still cheaper than going to a Canucks home game,乌鸦传媒� April says. 乌鸦传媒淵ou can get into a game down there for like $16.乌鸦传媒�
And while they乌鸦传媒檙e down there watching hockey, they can see some other things, as well.
乌鸦传媒淢y mom made me go to Disneyland,乌鸦传媒� Mackinley says. 乌鸦传媒淏ut I just wanted to watch hockey.乌鸦传媒�
Mckinley is quite the athlete herself. She plays for two local hockey teams 乌鸦传媒� one mixed and one girls乌鸦传媒� team 乌鸦传媒� as well as being as burgeoning golfer. She is currently enrolled in a golf academy in Parksville with hopes to maybe one day become a professional golfer.
乌鸦传媒淏ut I乌鸦传媒檇 like to play hockey professionally, too,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淚 like golf, but I love hockey. It乌鸦传媒檚 my passion.乌鸦传媒�
