7-year-old Emma Thompson handed her homemade sandwich to hockey legend Sidney Crosby during a community event in Pittsburgh. Emma, a passionate Penguins fan, noticed Crosby jokingly mentioning hunger after practice. Without hesitation, she approached the superstar with her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, carefully wrapped in colorful paper.
Touched by the gesture, Crosby graciously accepted and promised Emma he would find a way to thank her someday soon. Emma’s parents shared the adorable interaction on social media, quickly spreading joy and warmth across countless hockey fans.
Exactly one week later, the Thompson family received an unexpected call from the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, inviting Emma and her family to the next home game as special guests. But the surprises didn’t stop there.
At the game, during intermission, Emma was invited onto the ice, where Crosby himself presented her with an autographed jersey and hockey stick. Crosby shared with the audience the story of Emma’s kindness, inspiring thousands with his message about the importance of generosity, no matter how small the gesture might seem.
“Emma’s sandwich reminded me that kindness comes from the heart,” Crosby told the cheering crowd. “Her act of giving made my day better, and I wanted her to know how much that means.”
As a result, the Penguins announced a new community initiative called “Emma’s Sandwiches,” aimed at providing meals for local children in need, proving that even the simplest acts of kindness can lead to amazing things.
Mikko Rantanen Tops Crosby and Ovechkin with Historic Milestone
Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen accomplished a rare feat today, something even the likes of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin haven’t accomplished.
The Carolina Hurricanes traded Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars earlier this month.
After the trade, there was a lot of drama surrounding Rantanen as rumors swirled about his relationship with the team.
Following the trade deadline though, Rantanen cleared the air, telling us how things really went down.
Tonight, the Stars are facing the Colorado Avalanche in Colorado, making his his first time as a visitor at Ball Arena.
Mikko looked like his usual self in front of the Denver crowd as he set up a pretty goal for the Stars early into the first period, giving the road team the lead.
With the point, he has officially scored against every team in the NHL.
As Avalanche analyst Peter Baugh pointe out, that is a feat even Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have not accomplished.
Rantanen had 25 goals and 64 points in 49 games played with Colorado this season before he was traded to the Hurricanes, where he put up just 2 goals and 6 points in 13 games.
With the assist tonight, he is up to 2 goals and 4 points in his first four games with the Stars.
The 28-year-old immediately signed an eight-year contract extension with the Stars following the trade, so he will very likely end up spending the rest of his career with the club.
The team is certainly built to win now, but they may very well have to go through Rantanen’s old club en route to their next Stanley Cup.
This article first appeared on Hockey Unplugged and was syndicated with permission.