Sunday can't come soon enough for Cole Penner.
Penner, a local 10-year-old who is a huge fan of the Vancouver Canucks, will skate with his heroes prior to the opening faceoff of Sunday's NHL playoff game between the Canucks and Los Angeles Kings.
Penner will circle the ice at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, while the music blares and the towels wave.
He'll then stand with the Canucks on their blueline for the playing of the national anthems.
After that, Penner and his dad, Ken, will head for their complimentary seats and watch as the Canucks try to stay alive in their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series with the Kings.
This will be Penner's first live NHL game and he has no doubts in his mind that the Canucks will prevail on the scoreboard and cut their series deficit to 3-2.
"They're going to win - I've got 100 per cent confidence," said Penner, a Grade 5 student at Highglen elementary.
For this bit of fantasy-turned-reality, Penner can thank his grandmother and a whole lot of luck.
His grandma, Ann, who works at the Save-On-Foods head office in Vancouver, entered his name in Save-On's "Every Kid's Dream" contest.
Against the odds, he was the winner. His parents, including mom Donna, shared the news with him on Thursday night.
"We had a YouTube link to [another] winner - the parents I guess videotaped the whole thing - so we showed him that," Donna said.
"Then we said, 'Sunday night, that's you,'" and the look on his face was pretty good. It took until about 2 o'clock [Friday] afternoon before I think it finally sunk in. Right now he's on Cloud 9. He cannot wait to get down there."
Penner and his dad will fly out of Prince George today.
Penner's favourite NHL player is Canucks forward Ryan Kesler because "he can shoot the puck and dangle with it."
Having the chance to share ice space with Kesler and the Canucks is almost too much for him to comprehend.
"When my parents told me I didn't really jump up and down but I was very happy," said Penner, who recently finished his second season in the Prince George Minor Hockey Association.
Penner is particularly excited about one possibility.
"I think - I don't know 100 per cent - but I might get to meet Ryan Kesler," he said.
Sunday's opening faceoff is at 5 p.m.
