When asked why he wished to meet professional hockey player Ed Belfour, 9-year-old Mason explained that he liked his mask and had heard the goaltender was nice. Because Mason is a child battling a life-threatening illness, any reason is good enough for the friendly wish granters from the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Northern Illinois.

Mason is tough, just like his idol – "Eddie the Eagle." Three months after being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, the young athlete was back in school. What showed his tenacity even more was that after weekends of treatments, Mason would leave the hospital to join his hockey team the same day.

The Northern Illinois chapter arranged for Mason – along with brother Duncan, mom Cindy, and dad Steve – to attend a Dallas Stars/San Jose Sharks game in Texas. The game started on an odd note when Belfour didn't play, but that fact turned out to be just a minor gap in Mason's Make-A-Wish^® experience. Even without their starting goalie, the Stars managed to handle the visiting Sharks, 4-1.

After the game, Mason ventured into the Stars' locker room, met some of the players, got autographs, and received a Belfour jersey and goalie stick. The next stop (after his second limo ride) was the restaurant where Mason met his hero – Ed Belfour. The meeting turned into an interview session when the young fan took out a list of 34 prepared questions for the all-star. Among his inquiries was what it felt like to have the crowd chant one's last name.

Later in the meal, "Eddie the Eagle" let Mason wear the Olympic gold medal he had earned as a member of Team Canada in Salt Lake City during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Feeling like a champion, Mason stood on a chair, threw his hands up, and had his parents crouch down as if they were the silver and bronze medallists.

By the end of the night, the young and veteran goalie were playfully making faces at each other. The kid and the kid at heart had forged a bond that was unmistakable – just like Belfour's dedication to the Make-A-Wish mission.

The father of two is no stranger to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Besides wearing the Foundation's wishbone logo on his mask, he has participated in fund raisers in the Dallas area and has auctioned off chances to take penalty shots at him after practice. In addition to Mason, plenty of wish kids have benefited from Belfour's generosity as he bought 10 seats to every Stars game for wish kids in the Dallas area during his tenure with the team.

While bruised-up opposing players may argue otherwise, Mason can tell you all about Belfour's goodness and grace as the fiery competitor made Mason's most cherished wish come true.