NBCSN’s coverage of the 2019-20 NHL season begins with Wednesday’s matchup between the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals when the Blues raise their 2019 Stanley Cup banner. Coverage begins at 6:30p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.
There’s no denying that Laila Anderson was one of the emotional forces behind the St. Louis Blues’ run to the Stanley Cup last spring. Anderson, who battled a rare immune disorder called HLH, was going to playoff games, she was building relationships with players and she even got to lift the Stanley Cup on the ice after the Blues won it all. It feels like she’s part of the team because she probably is. Well, the Blues organization showed their appreciation to Laila by giving her another incredible gift.
When Alexander Steen and Colton Parayko showed up to Laila’s family home, the young Blues fan and her mom had no idea why they were there. Steen and Parayko were there to deliver a special package. Yup, Laila got her very own Stanley Cup ring from the Blues.
What a moment:
A special gift from her boys - thank you Laila for being such an inspiration during our #StanleyCup run. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/4Zlu1Xuwjb
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 1, 2019
“She’s special to us,” Blues defender Colton Parayko said of Anderson back in June. “She’s taught me a lot of life lessons outside of hockey. We’re excited to see her get better and obviously see her at more of the games.”
To see the length in which the players and organization are going to make Laila feel like part of the family is so special. This is such an awesome story. Hopefully it inspired other teams to go the extra mile for some of their loyal fans that are battling through difficult times.
--
Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.