Jan 29, 2017 | bpatterson | 493 views
Tyke Leafs Visited by Walter Gretzky!
On Jan 29th about 1 hour before the SCMHA Tyke Leafs went on to battle the Kings, the team was visited by Walter Gretzky! Walter generously signed autographs for all the kids and took pictures with each one of them. After the autographs and pictures the floor was Walters as the coaching staff handed over the pre-game pep talk.
Walter talked to the kids about being first to the puck, working hard and that an assist is the same as a goal, if not better. After telling a few more stories and jokes Walter took to the ice to take one last picture with the teams before the game began.
Walter then joined the Leafs Coaching Staff behind the bench to give the kids (and the coaches) an experience of a lifetime. We had some good laughs as Walter told the kids "we need goal number two, 'cause one won't do".
The Leafs fell behind 0-3 early on, but because of Walter's presence and motivation the kids fought hard and came back to tie the game with just 3 minutes left. Unfortunately the comeback fell a little short as the team went down 3-4 just before the start of the last shift. The last 2 minutes was mostly in the offensive zone and the team had some great chances. However, the game ended before the Leafs could tie it up. What a great game!
Today the game was second to the enjoyment of giving the kids an experience they will remember forever.
Thank you Walter for taking the time to spend a few hours with us!!