It was October of 2018 when then 12-year-old Tyler Hewitt discovered something was wrong with his brain. He had the first in a series of seizures that started to come on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times a day. The seizures took away any sense of normalcy from his life for nearly two years.
Drugs were able to bring the seizures under control, but for two years, Hewitt was unable to pursue his passion of hockey. Brain surgery in 2020 was able to bring the seizures under control for Hewitt, now 14, and in December of that year, he made an application to the Make A Wish Foundation to go to Montréal and skate with the Montréal Canadiens at a practice.
And then, Covid happened, and for the better part of two years the world turned upside down, and Hewitt’s wish got lost in the madness of the world.
But late last year, three years after making the request, and five years after his first seizure, Hewitt was contacted by the Make A Wish Foundation to pick a date to go to Montréal.
Unfortunately, with Covid still a going concern, Hewitt wouldn’t be allowed to skate with the Canadiens, but he would be allowed to meet one of them.
So, last month, Hewitt and the rest of his family went to Montréal for a week to explore the city and go see the Habs play the New York Islanders on January 25.
Was there any special reason for wanting to see the Islanders? “No,” he says. “That’s the one I chose because if I picked any other game, I might not be able to meet any of the players. It was still pretty cool though. We got there we got to stay at a really fancy hotel. Leading up to the game, we just explored the city, walking around.”
On the day of the game, Hewitt got a chance to meet Cole Caufield. Caufield has been playing for the Canadien’s since the 2020–21 season, and already has 52 points this season, including a goal in the game against the Islanders.
“I got to talk to him, though I didn’t really know what to talk about because I didn’t know who I was going to get to meet,” says Hewitt. “It was kind of an on-the-spot thing. But he signed a few things for me and I got pictures with him and stuff like that.
Watching the Canadien’s play was easily the highlight of the week-long trip for Hewitt. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. People say the Bell Centre is one of the most energetic stadiums in the NHL and now I know it is. It was it such a good experience. We got to watch the game from a booth, which had food and its own washroom.”
And, of course, the Canadien’s won the game 4-3, which made the day extra special for the hardore Habs fan.
Above Photo: Tyler (he’s the tall one in the middle) and family wearing their matching Make-a-Wish shirts in Montréal . Photo provided.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
