Talk about fan appreciation. A fan at an Orlando Solar Bears ECHL hockey game on Thursday walked away $100,000 richer after successfully shooting a puck through a small opening in a goal from the opposite blue line.
It was the first intermission on Fan Appreciation Night in Orlando, when the team held its spin-to-win grand-prize shootout. Season ticket holders had been competing throughout the season according to a CBS report.
Season ticket holder Nick Gionvanelli from St. Cloud, Fla. was selected for one grand-prize shot. He would have no practice shots and only had one chance to score.
The shot from the opposite blue line is 115 feet away from the goal and was covered with a board with only a small hole for the puck to go through.
No small feat, Gionvanelli threaded the needle with the shot and was abruptly mobbed by people and mascots on the ice while more than 8,000 people cheered on from the stands.
The Orlando Solar Bears are an affiliate of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.
The $100,000 grand prize promotion was the first time the team had run the contest.