No, the Sharks didn’t make a call up over the weekend; instead the team signed the 17-year-old to a one-day contract, thanks to the folks at the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
A lifelong hockey player and Sharks fan, Tageson was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a life threatening disease that will require a heart transplant in the future. He was told he’d never ride a bicycle or participate in physical activity – boy has he proved the doctors wrong.
Tageson, an avid skateboarder and hockey player, admits that the doctors have given up telling him no.
The Sharks have long been an important part of his life, so the team wanted to show how important they thought he was by making his dreams come true. The two did all the typical Make-A-Wish things – suiting up and practicing, a locker room visit and autographs. But then the Sharks went a step further.
Before the team’s meeting with the Florida Panthers that evening, Tageson became the only non-player to ever skate out through the massive shark head, during warm-ups, and remain on the ice during the duration of the national anthem. After that, his name and picture were displayed on the jumbotron, at which point he broke down crying, tears of joy.
It was a heart-warming moment that’ll have you smiling, and maybe even reaching for the tissues.
In the end, the Sharks fell to the Panthers 3-2, but that wasn’t the highlight of the game to Tageson, along with his new group of friends. Sharks defenseman Jason Demers took to his Twitter after the loss and had this to say:
Disappointing to lose tonight really wanted that one for Sam Tageson… what a great kid and makes you appreciate what you have! #rolemodel
— jason demers (@jasondemers5) March 19, 2014
The NHL and Sharks organization should be commended for what it did and how it took it to the next level. It was a day Tageson won’t soon forget – and proof life is more important than sports, though sometimes we need the one to help us through the other.
Ed Miller is a contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
