A Prince George boy in treatment at B.C. Children's Hospital got some unusual visitors Monday.
Six members of the Vancouver Canucks dropped in to say hello to Brendan McKinnon, a popular local teen known as Buck to his friends and family.
Buck's parents, Krystel McKinnon and Darren Lewis, also got to enjoy the moment with their son, who lives with severe cerebral palsy and an accompanying condition called dystonia.
"Buck has been in and out of B.C. Children's Hospital fighting a severe resilient spinal infection post-scoliosis surgery two and a half years ago," said McKinnon. "His most recent surgery was removal of the hardware."
Recovering in the surgical ward, "Buck was so excited" to see the six players of the Vancouver Canucks came in to pay him a visit, gifting him with autographs and a plush souvenir of Canucks mascot Finn.
The players in the contingent were enough to form an entire line, including starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom, along with Brandon Sutter, Markus Granlund, Elias Pettersson, Alex Edler and Tyler Motte.
It's not the first time Canucks players have dropped in on Buck at B.C. Children's Hospital on his visits to the Vancouver facility.
"We got to share with them the time Finn gave Buck Daniel Seden's game-winning overtime puck, that tied Markus Nslund for most goals ever by a Vancouver Canuck," McKinnon said.
The record-breaking Sedin was along for that adventure.
It's not every day a celebrity wanders the B.C. Children's Hospital hallways. A lot of stress and work on profound healing is the normal course of the day there. So when some NHL stars drop in, does it help the mood of the patients (and their loved ones)?
"It really does," McKinnon said. "For a moment in time it makes you forget you're sick and brings happiness in a not so happy time. It makes you feel important that such a famous group of men would take time out of their day just to say hello."
