Canucks' Elias Pettersson donates All-Star Game winnings in honour of Brock Boeser's sick father
Since breaking into the NHL last season, Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks has proven that his talent on the ice is elite.
Recently, he reminded the hockey world that he’s as sensational away from the rink.
The 21-year-old forward turned heads during the All-Star Skills Competition in St. Louis while competing in the Hardest Shot competition. Despite only weighing 176 pounds, his first swat sent the biscuit travelling 102.6 miles per hour. His next went a blistering 100.3 miles per hour.
1️⃣0️⃣2️⃣.4️⃣ 😳🔥 pic.twitter.com/IlSQnhpyoH
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) January 25, 2020
While those speeds didn’t win him the competition — Shea Weber of the Montreal Canadiens did so with a blast that topped out at 106.5 — Pettersson did earn $10,000 to be donated to any charity of his choice for breaking 100 with both of his shots.
Shortly after his second shot, it was announced that the young Swede would be splitting his winnings between the Parkinson Society of British Columbia and the Minnesota chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association, per Harman Dayal of The Athletic.
Pettersson decided to send the money to those organizations in honour of Brock Boeser’s father, Duke. According to Dayal, Duke was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010 and has been battling the nervous system disorder since.
While Pettersson was blasting biscuits at the Enterprise Center, Boeser was in Burnsville, Minnesota to spend time with his father and family. He was watching the broadcast of the Skills Competition from his hometown when he heard the news of his teammate’s touching gesture.
“I was kind of shocked when I heard it on the TV,” Boeser said, per Dayal. “I was just thrown off. I was like, ‘Did they mess that up or something?’ But then I asked him after and he said he picked it for my dad.
“It just shows the type of person he is and why he’s one of my best friends. He’s a caring kid and for him to do that, it means a lot to me and my family.”
The play of Pettersson and Boeser is a big reason Vancouver currently sits atop the Pacific Division with a record of 28-18-4.
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