Blues superfan Laila Anderson meets Brodeur, Janssen at Devils game

Laila Anderson found herself in a familiar, yet foreign place in early March.

The St. Louis Blues superfan, known for helping them hoist the Stanley Cup in 2019 while battling an isolated case of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in her brain, was rink-side at a Blues game, but on a new coast. Anderson and her grandpa Jim Lewis traveled to UBS Arena on March 5 and Prudential Center on March 6 to watch the Blues play the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils, respectively, during a trip to the east coast for season ticket holders.
Despite the back-to-back one-goal losses, Anderson had a great time watching the Blues battle it out. What she didn't expect, however, were the new friends she made along the way.
Two years ago, Lewis was golfing with a friend at a St. Louis course. Lewis' friend brought a guest, who just happened to be Martin Brodeur, one of the most prolific goalies in NHL history.
"My grandpa at the time had no clue who he was," Anderson said. "He had no clue Brodeur played hockey, he didn't follow hockey. He played all 18 rounds of golf not knowing who he was."
Brodeur played 22 seasons in the NHL, 21 with the Devils and his final one with the Blues. In 2018, Brodeur became the executive vice president of business development for the Devils. Since learning of who Brodeur was on the green, Lewis and Brodeur remained friends.
So, when Anderson and Lewis took the trip to New Jersey, they sat in Brodeur's suite with his family. It was the 13-year-old's first time meeting him.
"I was kind of star struck, being a big fan," Anderson said. "Now I would consider us friends. That's crazy."
Also sitting in Brodeur's box was former Devils and Blues forward Cam Janssen, who met Anderson and Lewis on the flight there, though -- again -- Lewis didn't know of Janssen's professional standing.
"Cam and his wife were in the row directly across from us and Cam was in some sunglasses and a hat, so I didn't recognize him," Anderson said. "My grandpa makes small talk and says, 'Hi, how are you?' and Cam jokes back, 'Hi, I'm Brett Hull.'"
After realizing who Janssen really was, Anderson clenched her armrest in disbelief.
"He's a big deal," she told Lewis.
They too became friends. Although Anderson was in the tri-state area for only three days, she said the relationships she developed with Brodeur and Janssen will last a lifetime.

While Brodeur and Janssen share love for each of their former teams, Anderson's alliance was clear. In the box, she sported her custom Blues jean jacket gifted to her in 2019 by the wives of the Stanley Cup champions, who all have the same one with their husband's name and number on the back.
"Mine says "Laila" with the No. 55, because my best friend is now Colton Parayko," Anderson said. "I've been a huge fan of Colton for a long, long time. They gifted me the jacket, which has patches that are special to me."
On the denim is a unicorn patch. Laila refers to herself as a unicorn because she's unique, as is her autoimmune disorder HLH. There's a Stanley Cup patch, a Bobby Plagler pin and Pat Maroon- and Joel Edmundson-themed details.
The only team Anderson roots for -- when the Blues aren't playing, of course -- is the Minnesota Wild, because her dad Scott is from Minnesota. The two are no strangers to traveling for Blues games, having gone to Las Vegas, San Jose and Seattle, so when the Winter Classic matchup was announced, Anderson had to go.
And, on par with Anderson's fandom, she had to be the first in the stadium.

"Any hockey game Laila goes to, she wants to go to the rink first and be one of the first people in," Scott said. "At the Winter Classic, Laila's sitting in the stands, and there's no one else there. That's how it is when we go to other games too."
Scott said Anderson's goal is to catch a hockey game in every NHL arena. But Anderson, who has been in good health since her lifesaving bone marrow transplant in 2020, has bigger plans.
"At some point, I'd like to be the first woman on an NHL team," she said. "I think if I'm able to get my skills up to par, I'd love to be in the NHL, if women are allowed."