Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price is being praised after he stopped to talk to a boy whose mother recently died of cancer.
Tammy Whitehead, the 11-year-old’s aunt, published a video of the meeting on Facebook, and as of Friday afternoon, it had been viewed more than 4.9 million times.
“I wanted to share this video of my nephew Anderson, meeting his idol, Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens,” Whitehead wrote. “Last year as Anderson’s mom was dying of cancer she promised she would do everything she could to make his dream come true. Unfortunately, she passed away before that could happen, but through some very kind and generous friends, we were able to arrange a visit to the morning skate.”
In the video, filmed at the Canadiens’ practice before their Feb. 23 game in Toronto, Price gives a long hug to a sobbing Anderson, who is wearing a Canadiens jersey with Price’s No. 31. Price signs goalie sticks and gives them to the boy.
Whitehead called Price “a class act” and added: “Words cannot describe how much this meant to Anderson, and we are forever grateful to this wonderful man.”
Laura McKay died in November, according to The Canadian Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.