Little Girl Raises Money for Brother’s Surgery—Then Connor McDavid Steps In with an Unbelievable Surprise!

When nine-year-old Lily Evans set out to raise money for her younger brother Ethan’s critical surgery, she had no idea her heartfelt campaign would capture the attention of hockey superstar Connor McDavid. What happened next warmed hearts around the world, reminding us all of the power of kindness and community spirit.

Eager to support her five-year-old brother, Ethan, who urgently needed surgery for a congenital heart condition, Lily, just eight years old herself, sprang into action. Determined and resourceful, she organized bake sales, lemonade stands, and even spent weekends selling homemade crafts in front of their family’s modest home in Edmonton, Alberta.

Lily’s story quickly spread through their local community, touching countless hearts. Neighbors and classmates contributed generously, inspired by the little girl’s tenacity and unconditional love for her brother. Yet, despite Lily’s determined efforts, they remained short of the considerable funds required for the critical surgery.

That’s when NHL superstar and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid heard about Lily’s heartfelt efforts. Known not only for his record-breaking goals but also for his generosity and kindness off the ice, McDavid was deeply moved by Lily’s mission.

What happened next was nothing short of remarkable.

On an ordinary Saturday afternoon, Lily was busy manning her modest lemonade stand, cheerfully greeting passersby and telling them Ethan’s story. Suddenly, a familiar face appeared from the crowd. Connor McDavid himself, casually dressed but unmistakably recognizable, walked up to Lily’s humble stand.

“Hello, Lily,” McDavid greeted her warmly, smiling as he introduced himself. Lily’s eyes widened in surprise—she could hardly believe who stood before her.

“Mr. McDavid!” she exclaimed, breathless and a little star-struck. The hockey legend knelt down, eye-level with the young girl, and gently placed a check in her tiny hand.

“This should cover Ethan’s surgery,” McDavid said softly, his voice filled with sincerity. “You’ve done so much already. Let me help you carry it from here.”

Tears filled Lily’s eyes as she stared at the check, the amount far exceeding the cost of Ethan’s operation. Connor hadn’t just covered the surgery; he had ensured Ethan would have every resource necessary for a complete and comfortable recovery.

But McDavid’s kindness didn’t stop there. He personally invited Lily, Ethan, and their family to watch an upcoming Oilers game as special guests. Ethan, still recovering but stronger each day, watched wide-eyed as McDavid scored goal after goal, inspired by the athlete who had changed his life.

After the game, Connor invited Lily and Ethan onto the ice. Surrounded by roaring cheers from thousands of fans, McDavid presented them with signed jerseys and took photos with the grateful siblings. For Lily, it was a magical night—a testament to what her courage and compassion had made possible.

When asked about his extraordinary gesture, McDavid humbly replied, “I was inspired by Lily’s dedication and love for her brother. It was the least I could do.”

Connor McDavid’s incredible generosity has not only changed Ethan’s life—it has forever impacted Lily, reminding us all that acts of kindness and humanity can transcend sports, bringing communities together and proving once again that heroes truly come in all forms, both on and off the ice.

Oilers coach fed up with turnovers: ‘That’s what’s hurting the team’

Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid Buffalo Sabres

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) is pressured by Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris (13) during the second period of an NHL hockey game on Monday, March 10, 2025, in Buffalo, N.Y. Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP Photo Photo by Jeffrey T. Barnes /AP

Beating a 30th-place team that’s mired in a six-game losing streak is supposed to be automatic.

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Especially for a would-be contender coming off a nice win and trying to prove that its mid-season malaise was just temporary.

So, Edmonton Oilers versus Buffalo Sabres was supposed to be a lot like mouse versus trap.

Like skier versus tree. Like sumo wrestler versus cake.

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Well, it turns out Monday night in Buffalo was a big night for traps, trees, cake and Sabres.

And not so good for an Oilers team that still can’t find its way back from mediocrity.

After mostly impressive wins over Montreal and Dallas, the Oilers reverted back to some of their old habits in an inexcusable 3-2 loss to one of the lowliest teams in hockey.

Edmonton had four power plays and outshot the Sabres 32-23, not counting five goal posts, but it wasn’t good enough. They didn’t bear down on their chances, served up one too many opportunities the other way and got what they deserved.

The Sabres, who are about to miss the playoffs for the 14th season, never trailed, leading 1-0, 2-1 and finally 3-2.

“Turnovers,” sighed head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We controlled most of the play, we had a lot of time in the offensive zone, we had more chances, but it was the kind of mistakes we made.

“You look at the turnovers that led to scoring chances off the rush. We spent very little time in the defensive zone, but the puck management and giving chances off the rush was a big story tonight.”

Exhibit 1: Viktor Arvidsson mishandles a simple pass on the Buffalo half-wall, leading to a three-on-three the other way. Stuart Skinner gives up a bad rebound and neither Jake Walman nor Evan Bouchard picks up Tage Thompson, who makes it 1-0.

Exhibit 2: Zach Hyman sends a backhand pass from behind the net into the slot, where there are no Oilers. Buffalo heads the other way, three-on-three, but Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are slow on the back pressure and a fourth Sabre, Alex Tuch, has time and space to rip one under the bar and make it 2-1.

Exhibit 3: Vasily Podkolzin paints himself into a corner inside the offensive blue line and turns the puck over. It’s a race between Bouchard and two Sabres for the loose puck. Bouchard is soft and indecisive, allowing Josh Norris to set up Thompson for the winner.

It’s already the second week of March, so the Oilers should be past the point of video sessions to straighten this stuff out. But here they are.

“I don’t think video is going to matter,” said Knoblauch. “We’ve been talking about it a lot. It’s about guys executing, finding that it’s an important part of the game.

“It’s frustrating when some of the guys who aren’t contributing offensively are contributing to scoring chances against, which is really hurting us.

“It’s different if you’re making those plays and it’s leading to offence, once in a while you get caught. But, if you’re not creating that offence, and you’re giving up those chances, that’s what’s hurting the team.”

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Offensively, the Oilers had more chances than they needed. Or should have needed, anyway. But two goals is never going to get it done.

It doesn’t matter how many looks you get — expected goals are for the analytics crew — what matters is how many the other guys have to fish out of the back of their net.

“They capitalized on their chances and we didn’t,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse, adding the only thing that matters at this time of the season are goals and wins.

“We’re at a point in the year where a lot of things are driven by results. On a night like this, our expectation is to come out, play our game and find a way to win and we didn’t do enough of that.”

On the bright side

Leon Draisaitl extended his consecutive-game points streak to a career-high 15 games with a second-period assist. He finally broke through his own glass ceiling after two 14-game streaks in his career (in 2019 and earlier this season).

Late hits

Bouchard, after going 59 games without a power play goal, now has two of them in the last five games… Jeff Skinner drew back into the lineup against his old team. He spent six years with the Sabres, with two 30-goal seasons and one 40-goal year… Former Oiler Ryan McLeod, who went the other way in a summer deal for Matt Savoie, has 14 goals and 20 assists with Sabres, both career highs. He set up the second Buffalo goal.

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