Edmonton Oilers keep in mind younger fan Ben Stelter: ‘So sturdy, so courageous, such a fighter’ | Globalnews.ca

Members of the Edmonton Oilers shared their grief and their reminiscences of a particular fan Thursday, after six-year-old Ben Stelter handed away following a battle with mind most cancers.

“He was a tremendous little man who lit up each room he was in,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid mentioned.

“This can be a very powerful day for whole Oilers household, all of the followers, however most significantly, the household,” he mentioned. “It’s only a horrible day and we’re excited about your entire Stelter household.”

When he was 4, Ben was recognized with glioblastoma — an aggressive sort of mind most cancers. He underwent surgical procedure to take away the tumour, in addition to a number of rounds of chemotherapy and dozens of radiation classes. Nonetheless, final December, the tumour returned and Ben started extra rounds of radiation remedies over the winter.

His household revealed he handed away Tuesday evening.

“The world misplaced probably the most particular boy and an absolute hero final evening,” his dad Mike Stelter mentioned in an announcement posted to Twitter on Wednesday. “Ben, you have been the perfect son we might ever hope for and also you have been my greatest bud ever.

“Our hearts are left with a Ben-sized gap in them and life won’t ever be the identical with out you. We’re completely crushed. We love you our candy Benny boy.”

Ben captured the hearts of the workforce and the hockey world together with his viral movies cheering workforce on. An enormous Oilers fan, Ben’s dream was to satisfy McDavid. The 2 met final fall after which, in March, Ben skated to centre ice together with his hero for the anthems.

“Ben meant a lot to myself, to my teammates,” McDavid mentioned Thursday. “The connection that developed over the course of a 12 months or so was one thing I definitely gained’t neglect.

“Sharing that second with him… to see his face, be shut with him… Not lots of people get to expertise what the ice appears like, what it seems like. It was fairly loud in there. To expertise that with him was actually particular for me and one thing I’ll all the time keep in mind.”

McDavid mentioned he fell in love with Ben and his whole household after their first assembly.

“I simply cherished being round him.

“Simply such a tremendous child. So sturdy, so courageous. If you watch somebody undergo that… particularly a 5 or six-year-old child, that was so inspiring. He was such a fighter.”

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Edmonton Oilers impressed by younger superfan battling mind most cancers

Zach Hyman shared reminiscences of when Ben joined him for a post-game information convention.

“He wasn’t nervous or shy in any respect. He was able to go on stage, excited to go on stage.

“Some gamers could be nervous in entrance of a room stuffed with media. This man was excited, large smile on his face.

“Somebody requested him who his favorite participant was and he checked out me and mentioned: ‘Connor,’” Hyman mentioned with fun. “They actually did have a particular connection.

“The followers have been all chanting his identify. That was a extremely cool second… one thing I’ll cherish ceaselessly.”

Ben, Hyman agreed, had a particular power about him.

“If any of you met Ben, you perceive… he lit up any room. What he went by way of, you wouldn’t realize it simply by assembly him. He all the time had a smile on his face… He was such a very good child.

“He touched your entire hockey world. He’s going to be enormously missed. He’s such an inspiration for all of us. What he went by way of places all the pieces in perspective,” Hyman added.

“We’ll miss him quite a bit.”

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Calgary Flames present assist for Ben Stelter, the 5-year-old Edmonton Oilers superfan battling mind most cancers

Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft mentioned the loss is hitting the workforce onerous they usually’re all sending their deepest sympathies and condolences to Ben’s household.

“As a father myself, I get to see the impression skilled athletes have on youngsters. However what I discovered actually attention-grabbing about our time with Ben was how a baby had an impression on a corporation and workforce.

“I used to be enormously impressed with the braveness of a younger man who outlined what a vivid mild was,” Woodcroft mentioned.

“It put a whole lot of issues in perspective for lots of people in defining what’s necessary in life. To see the braveness this younger man needed to battle what he needed to battle and the teachings to be discovered from him.

“We misplaced a bit of boy who displayed nothing however braveness every day (and) he was capable of encourage a workforce, he was capable of encourage a metropolis.

“It was particular for me to see the have an effect on he had on so many individuals. I do know I’m simply grateful for the time I bought to spend with him. We misplaced a vivid mild however his spirit will dwell on.”

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Edmonton hockey group continues to come back collectively for Ben Stelter