MONTREAL – When Kamal Panesar took his four-year-old son Devin out on the ice to play hockey for the first time, he knew he wasn’t exactly going to get an all-star performance.
As the two were lacing up their skates at the Beacon Hill Park chalet in Beaconsfield, they were approached by two boys.
“One of them, Lucas, shyly invited my husband to play some pick-up: ‘do you want to play with us? We can all throw our sticks in the middle,'” explained Keren Dolan, Devin’s mother.
Panesar told the boys Devin had never played hockey before.
Lucas responded: “don’t worry; we’ll go easy on him and we’ll let him handle the puck a lot.”
Dolan said when her husband told her the story that evening, she was shocked at their kindness, calling the boys, Lucas and Kevin, true hockey gentlemen.
“These kids were not only open to playing with my son, but they initiated it, and then were so patient and encouraging with my little guy,” she told Global News.
“I mean…who does that? What awesome kids.”
It’s an experience that really struck a chord with the family.
“My husband grew up playing pick up hockey in the West Island. He was able to share that first experience with my son,” she said, adding that the boys made a lasting impression on Devin.
“I think to him now, this is just the way people should be.”
Dolan took to Facebook to find the mothers of the two boys so she could say ‘thank you.’
Her message was shared so many times that within a few hours, the three mothers were able to get in touch with each other.
Lucas’ mother reached out to Dolan to say: “I’m so proud to know that he can be nice to other kids (when we are not around) and that everything we’ll teach them is just worth it…I hope we’ll see you at the park.”
Dolan told Global News her son hasn’t stopped talking about the two boys.
“My son came home thrilled and my husband, even more so at how adorable and kind these kids were,” Dolan told Global News.
“Be very very proud. You are raising kind and giving gentlemen and I salute you.”
“An amazing testament of character is what kids do, of their own volition, without any authority figure being around. These kids were clearly amazing, without even trying to be.”
Dolan said she hopes her son will pay it forward when the time comes.
“They are not even so difficult to find. You just have to notice and appreciate them.”
rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
Follow @rachel_lau
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