Owen Nei is a 13-year-old hockey player with a very special story to tell. This young man is a true testament to what can happen when we are determined to beat the odds.
Owen’s been living out his dreams since birth, even though he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and Goldenhar syndrome. Can you believe that this young man has already been through over a dozen surgeries?
Despite all of that, Owen is an avid hockey fan who has been playing throughout his early childhood. Unfortunately, he is no longer able to continue because he’s reached the final level that doctors will clear him for.
Bantam level play is too much stress for Owen, as it involves checking. “[Hockey] means life. It means family. It means everything to me. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted,” Owen said, according to Kare11.
It is going to be hard for this little boy to walk away from his favorite spot but he has no choice. Once his final home game at Schulz Arena in St. Paul rolled around, there was a huge surprise waiting for him. “I think this is the most people I’ve ever seen at one of my games,” he said of the sizable crowd.
Even Owen’s family had no idea about what was going to take place. This gathering took place organically, as fans and parents rallied the community together to give him one amazing send-off. The boy received an amazing pregame intro and they were even waving “O-Dawg” signs. Schulz Arena was absolutely jam-packed with fans, making for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This is the sort of atmosphere that one would expect to see at a high school or college-level hockey game. Peewee league players have never seen anything like this before. Former Minnesota Wild player Wes Walz was even on hand to present the young man with a special gift from the team. They really pulled out all of the stops, didn’t they?
Mayor Melvin Carter’s office proclaimed “Owen Nei Day” in the City of St. Paul as well. We are glad to see everyone coming together like this to make this little boy’s day. While no one wants to see this little boy’s hockey career coming to an end in such a manner, we are happy to see that he touched so many hearts during his time on the ice.