During the Battle of Alberta, it’s not a regularity that the players praise the other team’s supporters. But it’s just happened, and the hockey world is loving it. In recent weeks, the Edmonton Oilers have taken good care of Ben Stelter, a 5-year-old fan undergoing treatment for brain cancer.
Stelter has been in the dressing room before and after games, and the Oilers have shared several videos and photos of Ben and players of the team on social media. Ben is now somewhat of an internet celebrity, thanks to the Oilers. And now he’s even gaining attention from their rivals.
Matthew Tkachuk made a special video dedicated to Ben Stelter on Thursday.
“Hey Ben. I’m sure you’re not the biggest fan of me,” Tkachuk said. “I can tell by the video of you shooting the Nerf gun at me, but everyone here in Calgary is cheering you on and we’re all big fans of you.”
Tkachuk also held up a sign that a Calgary fan had made, saying, “Ben, you may be cheering for the orange+blue. But the Flames is cheering for you.”
Ben’s dad, Mike Stelter, responded to the video on Twitter.
“Thanks for the love. We can be friends off the ice,” he said.
