Gagner flips puck to fan, invites him back weeks later for birthday tour

David Wason had the best birthday of his life, thanks mostly to Sam Gagner.

The Vancouver Canucks forward gave Wason an incredible gift by seeking him out and inviting him to their home game against the Anaheim Ducks, then giving him a postgame tour of Rogers Arena on Tuesday.
David will turn 32 on Saturday, and among the things Gagner signed was his game ticket with a message "Happy Birthday." David and his brother Neil, 35, toured the Canucks locker room, training room, equipment room, and Gagner introduced them to players, including forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin.
The experience surpassed every other birthday of David's life, including when his family rented a limousine for him to ride in for his 30th birthday in 2016.
"David had always wanted to ride in a limo," Neil Wason told NHL.com. "I don't know how any other birthday present can top this."
The Wasons had already held Gagner in high regard even before their experience Tuesday. Sitting in the first row thanks to a seat upgrade, David had a puck flipped to him by Gagner during pregame wamups at Vancouver's game against the Nashville Predators on Dec. 13.
"We'd never been that close at a Canucks game before," Neil said. "David was waving and banging on the glass and Sam scooped the puck up and tossed it to him.
"David's reaction was awesome."

That reaction, of David jumping up and down and hugging his brother, went viral, and the Canucks sought them out via Twitter on behalf of Gagner to invite David back for the game Tuesday. Unfortunately, neither David nor Neil have Twitter, but they found out about their invitation thanks to a high school friend of Neil's.
David was so excited about the VIP treatment that he could hardly sleep the night before, eventually dozing off at about 2:30 a.m. PT. But if he was nervous to meet the Canucks it didn't show. After the game when Gagner reached out his hand to shake David's, he pulled the Canucks player in for a big hug.
The Wason brothers live in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, about 27 miles east of Vancouver, and attend a handful of Canucks games together each season. As fans for more than 20 years, they've been through thick and thin with the Canucks, but the experience they shared together Tuesday was a definite high point.
"It was incredible," Neil said. "It was the best night we've ever had."