Teen cancer survivor from Montreal meets his heroes at the Bell Centre
A young cancer survivor from Montreal got the surprise of a lifetime on Saturday when he was invited to hang out with the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre.
Fourteen-year-old Max Bergman got to meet his hockey heroes during their pre-match practice, including his idol Alexander Ovechkin.
And it didn't stop there. Later that day, he was given an important job: introducing the starting lineup in the locker room ahead of the game.
Although his family are Montreal Canadiens fans, Bergman's love of the Capitals began in 2018, when he was just eight years old.
"They won the Stanley Cup and they've been my favourite since then," he told CTV News.
His passion for the team hasn't dwindled since, and it kept him in good spirits during a dark period of his life.
Two years ago, Bergman was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.
"I tried not to get discouraged, I tried to stay on the positive side and no think negative," he said.
Fortunately, the young man is now in remission. The Make-A-Wish foundation helped get the ball rolling so he could met the Washington Capitals.
"It's more exciting to look forward to meeting Alex Ovechkin and the capitals than looking forward to [going] back to school," he said with a laugh.
Bergman's night undoubtedly got even better on Saturday after the Washington Capitals won their game, edging out the Montreal Canadiens 4-3.
With files from CTV Montreal's Stephane Giroux.
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