Charlie Lindgren and Grant. (Caps Outsider)
After practice on Sunday, the Capitals hosted a Hockey Fights Cancer skate with children and families from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
The players were paired up with a child who was either battling cancer or in remission. They hung out, chatted, went out onto the ice and posed for photos, and many went home with autographed sticks.
Goalie Charlie Lindgren hung out with Grant, a 7-year-old who is in second grade. “It was super cool. Grant was a great kid. Had a lot of fun with him. I think he was a little bit nervous getting on the ice with the skates, but he got the hang of it really quick. He’s just a phenomenal kid, and we hit it off right away.”
Charlie invited Grant to a Caps game and said he’d get him down into the locker room, and Grant even talked about playing one day.
“Grant, don’t be a goalie,” Erik Gustafsson said, getting a laugh from Lindgren.
Garnett Hathaway spent time with three brothers, including 5-year-old Zachary, who had Hathaway hold him and race around the rink. “We were playing a little Mario Cart as we went, just pretending we’re picking up mystery boxes,” Hathaway said.
Everyone posed for a group photo, while some players spent bonus time with their kids.
“I think it’s amazing,” Lindgren said of the event. “This is what it’s all about. You realize that life, it’s not all about hockey. It’s about making an impact on people’s lives. Hopefully I made a little impact on Grant’s life, and he certainly made a huge impact on my life.”
The Capitals are teaming up with the National Hockey League throughout November to educate the hockey community about cancer through Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month. The Capitals will host Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night supported by global sciences and technology company Leidos during the game against the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 19.
