Meeting Sidney Crosby a dream come true for Winnipeg kid battling cancer
Posted November 24, 2021 11:20 am.
While Monday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins was not a memorable game for most Winnipeg Jets fans, it’s a night 12-year-old Dian Green will certainly never forget.
A series of neat coincidences led the young Winnipegger to interact with his favourite player – Penguins star captain Sidney Crosby – for the second time.
For a young hockey fan who has been battling cancer nearly his entire lifetime, those special moments can mean the world.
“Dian’s only 12, and he’s been battling three different cancers for about 10 years now,” said his mother Rachel Green. “He’s never given up. He’s going through so much physically, mentally as well, but he always manages to smile, he always manages to make us laugh.”
Dian first fulfilled his dream of speaking to Crosby earlier this spring when the pair chatted on a video call. Rachel then made the Penguins player a beaded necklace to match her son’s.
Fast forward a few months and Dian was given the chance to be in the same building as his idol thanks to the Dream Factory, a Manitoba charity that grants wishes for kids fighting life-threatening illnesses.
A family donated four tickets to Monday’s game – on Hockey Fights Cancer night – and Dian and his mother were two of the lucky recipients.
The mother and son had dinner out before the game, and their server gave them a nice surprise.
“She introduced herself as Sidney,” recounted Rachel. “We looked at each other right away. It was a coincidence, but sometimes I think it’s meant to be.”
That was the first encounter with a Sidney that evening. The other one happened in section 117 of Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre.
Once they were rinkside, Dian walked up to the glass during the pre-game warmup, hoping his idol would recognize him.
“He wished to get a puck from Crosby, and we didn’t know it would happen, and it happened last night (Monday),” said Rachel. “In the video you can see Crosby look right at Dian to throw the puck and it was a good catch too.”
A photo taken from the stands shows the exact moment Crosby recognized his biggest fan.
“Just warmed my heart to see him happy,” said Rachel. “Although in the video you don’t see him smiling because of his mask, but when he smiles you can see his eyes scrunch up small, so I knew he was just smiling last night.
“Thank you, Crosby.”
The moment Sidney Crosby recognized Dian Green at the Winnipeg Jets game on Nov. 22, 2021. (Credit: FACEBOOK/Rachel Green)
A video submitted by a Jets fan – taken from the complete other end of the arena – appears to show Crosby hanging around on the ice after the game, raising his stick to give Dian a farewell salute.
For Dian and Rachel, the night will forever be a wonderful memory.
“Dian’s actually in palliative care at the moment,” she said. “We’re just making memories and enjoying what we have with Dian. We’re still hopeful. He’s got a lot of faith.”
The Winnipeg Jets donated $150,000 to CancerCare Manitoba – the provincial agency that provides clinical services for children and adults – and put on a display for all those bravely battling the disease.
“It was very heartwarming, emotional,” said Rachel. “I was emotional to see those stories of children battling cancer, and beating cancer some of them.”
Dian may be a Sidney Crosby fan, but we’re all fans of his. https://t.co/sq3ASqC1AU
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 24, 2021
