One young Campbell River hockey player 鈥� and fan 鈥� 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鈥檛 really a fan of the team 鈥� her parents are both Montreal Canadiens fans, after all 鈥� but she certainly did like 鈥渢hat number 17 guy,鈥� she says, and when he was traded to Anaheim, her fandom followed.
鈥淚f he was traded to Toronto, I鈥檇 probably be a Leafs fan,鈥� she says.
鈥淣o you wouldn鈥檛,鈥� 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.
鈥淎t first I was sad that you will not be playing,鈥� the letter reads, 鈥渂ut I just want you to get better soon. If you are around the arena for those games and feel like some popcorn I鈥檓 willing to share mine with you.鈥�
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鈥檛 tell Mackinley, though, because she thought it would be better as a surprise.
鈥淚t was so awesome,鈥� Mackinley says. 鈥淗e came down and I thought, 鈥榠s this a fake person trying to tease me or a joke or something?鈥� but then he sat with me and had popcorn鈥nd watched almost the full period with me.鈥�
鈥淗e was so down to Earth and engaging,鈥� April says. 鈥淗e was genuinely interested in everything she had to say. Even my husband said, 鈥業 wanted to hate the guy, but I couldn鈥檛. He was so nice.鈥欌��
The Whalen鈥檚 go down to the U.S. fairly frequently to watch hockey, because it鈥檚 actually significantly less expensive than going over for a game in Vancouver.
鈥淲e can fly down to Anaheim or Florida for a game and including the flights and hotels it鈥檚 still cheaper than going to a Canucks home game,鈥� April says. 鈥淵ou can get into a game down there for like $16.鈥�
And while they鈥檙e down there watching hockey, they can see some other things, as well.
鈥淢y mom made me go to Disneyland,鈥� Mackinley says. 鈥淏ut I just wanted to watch hockey.鈥�
Mckinley is quite the athlete herself. She plays for two local hockey teams 鈥� one mixed and one girls鈥� team 鈥� 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.
鈥淏ut I鈥檇 like to play hockey professionally, too,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 like golf, but I love hockey. It鈥檚 my passion.鈥�
