The New York Rangers have once again made hockey history, signing their first ever female player to a contract on Friday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
It wasn’t your garden variety contract though, as the Rangers signed 7-year old Kayleigh Petersen to a one-day contract with the Original Six club. Petersen was signed to the deal at a press conference put together in her honor as the start of her Make-A-Wish being fulfilled.
There was even a full press release touting her accomplishments put out by the Rangers press staff. It read like this, via the New York Daily News:
“She has tremendous skills and we felt her strength and character are through the roof. We are proud and honored to have her as a part of the Rangers organization.”
Petersen got her Make-A-Wish after suffering from a disease known as Tyrosinemia, which attacks the liver and kidneys. She was just 18 months old when she had to have a liver transplant and a long road to recovery began.
Her Make-A-Wish started with a visit from Santa Clause, who handed her an iPad with a video message from the Rangers on it. She got to skate a lap with the team heading out on the ice, had her image projected on the ice during player introductions and sat on the bench as the warm-ups happened.
To cap it all off, she also was interviewed on MSG during the first intermission and even got to go in to the locker room after the game was over.
She also got to attend the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular the night before as a set up to Thursday’s dream come true.
Petersen’s dream coming true serves as a great reminder that fighting for what you want no matter the odds is important. Watching her scoot off the ice as a packed house of fans cheered her on was simply priceless
[photo: Fox News]