What do I interpret from a 60 second conversation between an ice hockey star and his young fan? First and foremost, Elias is feeling better if he's buying sneakers. Devils fans throughout NJ emitted a Springsteen-like collective howl when we heard of Patrik's bout with Hep A.
Number two, hockey fans everywhere hold your breath. There's hope for a hockey season. Patrik spent the past year in the Czech republic and Russia, playing hockey, but he's back where the NHL takes him. Buying sign for Devils tickets?
Last, but most important, Elias is one of the most genuinely nice guys in a sport where the athletes are distinguished by their (off ice) genuine niceness. It's one thing to sign autographs and make small talk when approached; it's another to start a conversation with a young adult because you wear the same sneakers. Fill the NHL - or any other league - with guys like Elias and you'll have a fan base for the next two decades.
My son's only regret from his less than 15 minutes of fame encounter? He didn't get to tell Patrik about the ever-growing pasteboard empire we've assembled in his honor, or tell him we're glad he's back to full strength, or remind him that they share the same birthday.
Perhaps we're so used to thinking of the questions that we'd ask a person we admire that we're caught off-guard when the conversation is reversed. Here's the interesting question - if the one person who appears in your school essays about sportsmanship, leadership, and role models starts asking you questions, will your own answers make you proud?