Red Wings 7-year-old superfan pumps up crowd, gets message from Raymond

Alex Patterson now knows what it's like to have 15,000 people cheer for you. And he's not even finished with second grade yet.

The 7-year-old Detroit Red Wings fan had a pretty big week, becoming an unofficial mascot of sorts. It started at Tuesday's game against the San Jose Sharks. We'll let his dad, Josh Patterson, tell it.
"They were doing their standard showing fans on the scoreboard thing," Josh Patterson told NHL.com. "And they kept coming back to him. Then they would show some Sharks fans and everyone would boo. Then they'd come back to Alex and everyone cheered."
All it took was one look at a smiling Alex, with his Red Wings toque with a pom pom on top, his home Lucas Raymond No. 23 jersey, thick-rimmed glasses and 10,000 watt smile and everyone at Little Caesars Arena was all in.
"On the concourse after the game he started getting recognized. Everyone was saying 'hey that's the kid, that's the kid,'" Josh said. "Everyone was really having fun with it. He had his celebrity status for a few minutes."
Alex even got a thank you video from Raymond, the Calder Trophy candidate who is leading all rookies in goals and points. Raymond, it should be pointed out turns 20 in March, the same month Alex will turn eight.

"Thanks a lot for bringing the energy last game," Raymond said. "It was amazing to watch."
But while his fame may be new, his love for hockey has been going on for some time. By the time Alex was four, he had memorized every team's goal horn. There is a video of his older brother, Matt, quizzing him. Alex does not miss.
Tweet from @KirstenBegin: My cousin���s 5 year old son knows all the @NHL arena���s goal sounds by heart! ������🏒🥅@DetroitRedWings @Capitals @Senators @Avalanche @BuffaloSabres @NYRangers @StLouisBlues @MapleLeafs pic.twitter.com/Df0e2xibUr
Both Alex's older brothers, Matt and Johnny, played hockey and his older sister Haley was a figure skater. So, it wasn't long before he joined them out on the ice.
"He's obsessed," Josh said. "His brothers are older, we're a blended family, and when Alex was a baby I'm telling you, the only place he would sleep was at the rink... When he was just about turning three, the older boys wanted to get him on skates and he hasn't stopped."
Josh, Alex and mom, Emily, attend a handful of Red Wings games every season and Alex has gotten on the scoreboard before, but never like this.
"He ends up getting a practice puck pretty often. I try to tell him it's not always like this, it doesn't happen all the time, but the kid is pretty charmed," Josh said. "He's just soaking it all in. And we're happy everyone is showing him so much love."