Every Kid’s Dream: Young Hockey Players Sharing Ice with Canucks Stars is an Unforgettable Experience

Being part of the Vancouver Canucks’ gameday experience is something many kids dream of, but they don’t necessarily have to wait until they’re an NHL player to get the chance.

If you’ve been to a Canucks game or watched one on TV, you may have noticed kids on the ice standing beside a few of the players and the referees during the national anthems. They follow Fin onto the ice, skate a few laps around him and a couple more with the Canucks before taking their positions next to the players and officials.

For 10-year-old Lochlan Bean and 12-year-old Clara Lynn, who’ve recently been part of a gameday, they loved the atmosphere and energy.

Ben Williams participated in the program back in 2010 and stood next to Roberto Luongo. He’s reminded of that moment during his pre-game anthems in the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MJALHL).

Bean is from Comox and made the trip over with his mom, dad and sister for an exciting weekend in Vancouver. He’s a goaltender and his favourite NHL goalie is Thatcher Demko. When he found out he was going to get the opportunity to stand next to Demko, he was beside himself.

“I was so excited, I was rolling around on the floor,” Bean exclaimed. “This meant everything to me. I told all of my friends and told them what jersey I’d be wearing if they wanted to see me on TV.”

Standing next to the 6-foot-seven (on skates) Demko, Bean couldn’t believe how tall the Canucks’ goaltender is and was thrilled to get a fist bump from the All-Star. Bean’s a bit of a veteran though, having skated on Rogers Arena ice for a public skate when he was three years old, so he felt a little more comfortable out there this second time around.

“It was really cool! It was really hard to hear things on the ice, but it was still really cool looking around and seeing all the people watching,” he said.

Also from Vancouver Island, Lynn, 12, plays defence for the U13 A Victoria Reign and has been a B.C. hockey referee the past two years. Some crazy weather conditions that resulted in ferry cancellations almost prevented her from missing the game, but she made it just in time.

She felt the adrenaline take over as she skated her lap and was incredibly proud to stand next to NHL referees during the national anthem.

“The time it takes to prepare and everyone it takes to make it possible and the and steps it takes to get everyone in the right position is amazing. I was thinking ‘what is going on, this is crazy, I can’t believe I’m here. This is awesome!’”

She's striving for the PWHL or a referee for the NHL or PWHL and her favourite players are Quinn Hughes – for his unselfish play and how he creates for his teammates – and Marie-Philip Poulin for her stacked resume and exceptional play.

Lynn works with all-female referees, and representing female refs at Rogers Arena meant a lot to her getting a glimpse of what it would be like to referee at the highest level.

“I'd encourage anyone thinking about this to take every opportunity you get. Just think of all the possibilities, even if you’re nervous, it’s so cool. I feel so lucky to have had this experience and I’ll be able to look back and have those memories,” Lynn said.

Williams, the 21-year-old with the MJAHL’s Campbellton Tigers, said the opportunity to get on the ice at a young age with the NHLers fueled his passion for hockey and his desire to pursue it as a sport. He remembers his experience standing next to Luongo like it was yesterday.

His dad, former Canucks’ Assistant Coach Darryl Williams, told the six-year-old Ben to temper his expectations, make sure to give Luongo his space and that he probably wouldn’t have time to talk. 

“He actually ended up talking to me the whole time, was super nice, really great to talk to, and a really welcoming experience,” Williams said. “I was standing a little bit further away from him because I didn’t want to get too close and get in his space, but he shuffled over to me and told me it was ok to stand closer to him and we talked about the whole experience. He asked me how I was enjoying it, how my hockey season was going and how I enjoyed being a goalie because it was my first year as a goaltender at that point.”

Williams has the photo of him and Luongo on the ice together hanging up in his childhood room and is reminded of it when he wakes up every morning in the summers during the offseason. 

These experiences have encouraged him to pay it forward to young hockey players that join the ice for starting lineups before his MJAHL games.

“My very first night in Yarmouth, in October, it was actually a young goalie, and I did have a flashback to that moment with Luongo and I thought ‘this is coming full circle’. Obviously not to the extent of Roberto, but it’s a really cool experience to be on the other side of it,” he said.

The program is called Every Kid’s Dream, presented by Rogers, and provides this opportunity to B.C. minor hockey players between the ages of 8-14 to stand with the Canucks starting lineup.

Interested applicants can check out our website here: https://community.canucks.com/every-kids-dream-presented-by-rogers/