He shoots, he scores! Liam from West Friendship, MD, can’t get enough of sports, video games and playing with his friends. At just twelve years old, Liam has endured a difficult journey while undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, but watching his favorite teams on TV always brightens his day.  

When Liam’s wish granters met with him to help him decide on his wish, Liam chose a once in a lifetime experience: to skate with The Washington Capitals! 

His favorite player, Lars Eller, said it best as he kicked off Liam’s wish day with a few words before practice, “Today is very special because Liam had a wish. He wanted to come here, spend the day with us and come on the ice with us. Today, we’re going to make that wish come true. We support you all the way.”  

Donning the custom-made signed jersey, Liam hit the ice to practice with the team. “It was great, I kind of felt like a substitute for Ovechkin,” Liam said. “It was fun to test my accuracy a little bit and it took some time to get used to, but I got the hang of it.” 

Watching Liam’s joy was heartwarming for the players as well. “Every day is a battle for him, and to come here and forget about it for a little bit and just enjoy being a kid is what it’s all about,” player Tom Wilson said. 

Liam’s family shared in the happiness as they watched him. “To see him on the ice, after what we’ve been through, it’s hard to put into words,” Liam’s dad, Bill, said as he looked on with pride. 

“To have him be able to smile on the ice with the guys who are so supportive – it’s amazing.” Liam’s mom, Samantha, agreed. “It’s been hard, watching your kid go through what they have to go through. As strong as they are, you see the sad days and the pain sometimes. Suddenly, you’re in the arena, and your kid is beaming from ear to ear. It’s awesome and some of the sadness that you’ve been feeling for your kid just kind of vanishes.”  

The following day, Liam returned to Capital One Arena for more VIP treatment. He sat in the skybox and watched the Zamboni, toured the control room and met the Capitals’ head coach, Peter Laviolette. During the warmup, Liam took on one of the player’s traditions and threw a puck out to the fans. He beamed with confidence and fit right in as an honorary Caps teammate. 

Moments before the big game, Liam read the starting lineup back in the locker room and led the team into the game with a pep talk: “tonight, it’s a team game and tonight, we play like one.” Each player first bumped Liam on their way out to the ice as the finishing sendoff of an unforgettable two days. 

“To skate with them, get to know them, and shoot on goalie – it was a dream come true,” Liam beamed.