Colby Wilson was the happiest birthday girl around Saturday.
She received an autographed goalie stick.
Except it just wasn't any old goalie stick and it wasn't just autographed by anyone.
"Capt." Kirk McLean took the time Saturday to sign her blue and white Bauer One 90 Supreme stick, the same one she uses to backstop the Prince George Cougars peewee female hockey team.
It's quite the birthday present for Wilson, who turned 13 on Sunday.
Not only did McLean, the former goalie great for most notably the Vancouver Canucks, sign Wilson's stick, he signed the back of her cell phone case and the left side of the red toque that she was wearing.
McLean visited the Cougars' dressing room, as well as several others Saturday morning as part of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada festivities.
Prince George was one of three satellite communities featured on Hockey Day as Lloydminster, the city that straddles the Alberta and Saskatchewan border, was the central base for CBC to nationally broadcast the 2014 edition.
"I'll still play with the stick and then when I get too big for it I'll hang it up in a room," Wilson said of McLean's autograph while sitting in the dressing room at McLean walked around the room and signed everything her teammates wanted, from vintage Canuck sweaters, their sticks, cell phone cases and toques.
As for the autograph on her phone case, "I'll never wash it off," she said.
The stick is quite the keepsake.
Wilson, who's played between the pipes for six years, is a huge Canucks fan. And while she wasn't born yet when McLean was in his heyday, her parents have shown her videos of McLean's highlight-reel saves. She also counts Carey Price, the Montreal Canadiens' star netminder who grew up in Anahim Lake west of Williams Lake, as one of her favourite players.
McLean, who's affectionately known by fans around the NHL as Capt. Kirk, immediately donned a red Hockey Day in Canada sweater with the number 1 emblazoned on the back of it when he arrived Saturday morning at the bustling atrium of CN Centre and Kin Centre among hundreds of fans.
He visited dressing rooms of the Prince George Scotiabank Hart Centre Atom Team 4 team.
"Rumour has it you're undefeated," McLean said as he walked into their dressing room.
"Can you sign my jersey?" players ask as they crowd around him with photos, hats and sweaters to sign.
McLean asked who the goalie is. Turns out he has two shutouts so far this season.
Afterward, he huddles behind the team for a group photo and then it's on to the next team.
"Thank you!" they shout as McLean leaves the room.
In the next locker room is the Atom 2 house team that just lost a game earlier that morning.
McLean goes around to each player and signs autographs.
He stops and talks to their goalie Daniel Sturgeon, 10, and signs a Canucks cap.
"He's actually pretty cool," Sturgeon said. "He's a goalie who played for my favourite team."
It's on to to Kin 3 rink next and as McLean walks past parents and fans in the stands, they applaud.
He stops in Room 2, the dressing room of Benny and the Jets, a peewee female house team from Williams Lake. The team of 12 and 13 year-olds are in the corner with their blue and orange sweaters still on.
Assistant coach and parent Bob Trampleasure remembers McLean's years in Vancouver, especially his starring role in the Canucks 1994 Stanley Cup run. Trampleasure was in Vancouver at the time.
"He looks the same as he did 20 years ago," Trampleasure said of McLean. "We were down on Robson Street enjoying the parties and atmosphere... climbing poles, it was great to be there.
"This Hockey Day in Canada has brought the community together on a bigger scale."
After McLean spent time with the female peewee Cougars, he was on the bench talking to the Atom C Ice Hawks and gives them a pep talk.
McLean spent 17 seasons in the NHL, including a 10.5-year stint with the Vancouver Canucks between 1987 - 1998. He backstopped the Canucks all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals in 1994, eventually losing to the New York Rangers.
He also played for the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and Rangers before he retired in 2001.
He now works as an ambassador for the Canucks, travelling the province and meeting the fans.
Hockey Day in Canada was special.
McLean's signature was in high demand as adults and kids lined up to get autographs prior to the Prince George Cougars facing off against the Edmonton Oil Kings in a Western Hockey League matinee tilt at CN Centre.
"It's great to travel the province and come up to Prince George to visit. I get to talk hockey," McLean said.
"I tell the players to enjoy themselves. It's a kids' game. With a tournament like this, you get to have fun with the fans and enjoy each and every part of the game. I look forward to the whole day."
He was more than happy that Prince George was a satellite community for Hockey Day in Canada.
"The flight up here was stunning. There is no better place to have Hockey Day in Canada. The Cougars are here... it shows Prince George can support junior hockey and get behind minor hockey."
Community organizers were ecstatic with how Saturday morning went, seeing so many fans - both adults and children - wearing hockey sweaters mingling and lined up to to get autographs from McLean.
"We really appreciate working with Prince George Minor Hockey, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the kids and we're happy to pull it off," said Scotiabank's main branch manager Trevor Lutes. "Kirk was great from visiting the change rooms and the on-ice pep talks he gave, it just shows the spirit of hockey. We can't thank PG Minor Hockey, the City, Northern Health and the 2015 Canada Winter Games for their support.=
