NHLers score big smiles

Eleven-year-old Ryan Patterson didn't have much to say about meeting five NHL stars May 15, but the grin on his face seemed to say it all.

“It's cool,” the boy, who survived a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing's sarcoma, said.

The Buffalo Sabres' Marcus Foligno, the Columbus Bluejackets' Derek MacKenzie, the Edmonton Oilers' Zack Stortini, the Ottawa Senators' Nick Foligno and the San Jose Sharks' Andrew Desjardins met with patients at the Northeast Cancer Centre's pediatric oncology unit.

A number of the patients' family members and friends also tagged along, including Ryan's mom, Wendy, his five-year-old sister, Kaitlyn, and his 11-year-old best friend, Logan.

“I think it's great,” Wendy said. “We came last year, and it's nice that there's new (players visiting) this year. We're quite excited to meet them. It's awesome for the kids.”

MacKenzie, who is originally from Sudbury, came up with the idea last year to invite fellow NHL players to visit with local kids with cancer.
“The Columbus organization does a lot with pediatric cancer down there, and I thought it would be nice to come home and do the same thing,” he said.

“I know the kids down there certainly get a lot out of spending some time with us. Last year seemed to go really well. When the hospital invited us back up here again this year, we kind of jumped at the chance.”

For Marcus and Nick Foligno, meeting with the children was a poignant moment. Their mother, Janis Foligno, passed away from cancer in 2010.
“It definitely hits home for me,” Nick said.

“I realize there's things you draw on (when you have cancer). You find strength in certain parts of the day. For these kids, I hope they'll find strength in meeting us, and we kind of brighten their day and make them a little bit happier.”

Eleven-year-old leukemia survivor Jordan Primeau met with the NHL stars along with his nine-year-old brother, Zackery, and mom, Shannon.

Both boys are big hockey fans, although Jordan roots for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Zackery for the Ottawa Senators.

Zackery was “just beaming” because he got to meet his favourite player, Nick Foligno, Shannon said.

“It's just wonderful,” she said. “We just have an all-around love of hockey. We'll watch all the teams. They know all the guys. They love them all.”

Posted by Arron Pickard