Hockey is a place where hard work and dedication to the game can make heroes out of men, and can make dreams come true in the process. It is also a very powerful platform where dreams can come true just through a simple gesture of kindness, which the San Jose Sharks were able to pull off on Saturday.
Hayden Bradley is a recipient of a wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For his wish, he decided that he wanted to sign a contract with the Sharks, officially making him a Shark for the day (it was actually an honourary three-day contract). But it turns out, the wish wasn’t going to end there.
Born with a severe heart ailment, the Sharks took it upon themselves that he was not just a Sharks player on paper, but that he actually got the full experience of slipping on the teal and silver as a member of their practice, locker room experience, and pregame skate. On top of that, Bradley got to take a ceremonial faceoff against one of the game’s all-time greats – Sidney Crosby.
On Monday, the Sharks’ YouTube account released the helmet-cam footage of Hayden’s Make-A-Wish moment, and it’s the best perspective we have of the heartwarming moment.
It’s incredible what a difference such a small effort can make, particularly in the lives of children that look up so highly to their athlete heroes.
(H/T YouTube/San Jose Sharks)
