When Matthew Moniz was surprised by his parents with tickets to his first-ever NHL hockey game this week, the 6-year-old Wallaceburg resident was ecstatic.
However, he never could have imagined the experience he would get once he got to Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday night to watch his favourite team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, battle their arch-rival the Detroit Red Wings.
“Both kids (along with big sister Gabriella) play hockey and were asking about a chance to go watch our beloved Leafs,” said Mike Moniz, Matthew’s dad. “We surprised them Tuesday telling them we were pulling them from school early Wednesday for the game.”
Moniz said they went to the game with their good friends Ryan and Isabel Burfield and their two kids Ethan and Avery.
“The kids wanted to make up signs for the game, so we went about doing that,” he said. “We wanted it to be a full experience for the kids so we were among the first ones into the rink and got a spot in the Leafs end along the glass.”
Moniz said they were in a perfect spot to watch the warm-up.
“We saw the players getting their sticks ready and stretching, saw the camera crews setting up and cheered wildly when the Leafs hit the ice for their warm-up,” he said. “The kids had their signs up waving at the players. Phil Kessel is Matthew’s favourite player and he came over and flashed a smile but it was Cody Franson who pointed to Matthew and flipped over a puck.”
From that point on, the Wallaceburg boy was on cloud nine.
“He was simply speechless after he got the puck then went into hyperdrive since it was about three hours past his bedtime,” Moniz said. “He was leading the ‘Go Leafs Go’ cheer in our section.”
Moniz said after Franson tossed Matthew the puck, a woman who runs the Maple Leafs Twitter and Facebook accounts asked if she could take a picture of him and Matthew.
See the photo below:
#TMLtalk photo: This youngster picked up a puck courtesy of Cody Franson during tonight’s warmup! pic.twitter.com/Psz3Y21ebI
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 11, 2014
“To top it all off, the Leafs won the game (2-1) in a shootout,” he said.
When looking back at his first experience at an NHL game, Moniz said he is happy to share a similar experience with his son.
“Growing up a Leafs fan I vividly remember my first game taking the subway to Maple Leaf Gardens, getting off at Carlton and walking through the raucous crowds into MLG to watch the Leafs play the Wings,” he said. “Now he will have a similar experience, with much better pictures.”
Photo credit: Left – contributed, centre – contributed, right – Toronto Maple Leafs Facebook Page.
