Natalie Honzalek gave the New Jersey Devils a bracelet they usually gave her a hoop.
The 15-year-old from Minnesota, who was recognized with a uncommon type of sarcoma most cancers in her cheek, had her want come true when she obtained to spend the weekend along with her favourite hockey staff.
Throughout her on-ice follow with the staff and a VIP recreation expertise, she gave two of her favourite gamers, Jack and Luke Hughes, the “Natalie Robust” bracelets her household distributed when she was going by chemotherapy therapy.
“We had a bunch of these made to offer out to household and associates and stuff, and we had some with us, and we simply determined that it might be cool to offer one to every of them,” Honzalek stated.
She then obtained to strive on some jewellery herself.
After assembly some former Devils, she obtained to strive on staff legend Ken Daneyko’s Stanley Cup championship ring.
“It was actually cool,” she stated. “By no means thought I’d even be near it, after which I obtained to put on it.”
Fanatics
Fanatics Natalie Honzalek wears a Stanley Cup championship ring whereas assembly New Jersey Devils alumni.
She was certainly one of three younger Devils followers that acquired a once-in-a-lifetime expertise, courtesy of the Devils Youth Basis, Make-A-Want and Fanatics.
Honzalek, who performs for the Northern Lakes Lightning hockey staff in Minnesota, underwent 42 weeks of chemo together with radiation, in line with a 2023 GoFundMe.
“When the household mentioned the prognosis, Natalie did not cry when advised she could not play softball or she would lose her hair,” the web page reads. “She did cry when she was advised she could not play hockey subsequent yr.”
Unable to play the game she loves, watching the Devils through the 2022-2023 postseason helped fill a void throughout a tough time for Honzalek and her household.
“Hockey was the one factor getting me by being within the hospital,” she stated. “We had been at all times watching playoff video games.”
This time, she obtained to see the staff up shut and private.
“After beating [cancer], they gave me the chance to make a want,” she stated, “and I selected to fulfill the Devils.”
Fanatics
Fanatics Make-a-Want child Natalie Honzalek chats with Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils.
Fanatics
Fanatics Make-A-Want youngsters be a part of the New Jersey Devils on the ice through the staff’s follow.
She was invited into the locker room, the place she met the staff and was introduced with a custom-made jersey and different items at her very personal locker. She then obtained to skate on the ice with the staff throughout follow and even assisted on a Jack Hughes objective, calling the ice time her favourite portion of the expertise.
“It’s all so surreal,” she stated.
Honzalek was then joined by Devils alumni for lunch, which was capped by her attempting on the championship ring. The day conclude with a procuring spree within the staff retailer from Fanatics.
The next evening, Honzalek and her fellow Want youngsters watched the Devils tackle the Pittsburgh Penguins from a luxurious suite at Prudential Heart. They sat on the bench throughout warm-ups, high-fived the staff from the tunnel resulting in the ice, took a Zamboni experience throughout intermission and obtained a tour of the MSG TV truck.
They then noticed the Devils win a 2-1 thriller in a shootout.
“When a Want baby with a vital sickness will get to expertise their want it creates a life-changing reminiscence for them,” stated Chris Falzone from Make-A-Want New Jersey. “And we hope it brings them hope, power and pleasure and one thing that they’ll always remember for the remainder of their lives.”
Honzalek will always remember placing a championship ring on her finger or the Hughes brothers placing her bracelet on their wrists.
“All of it means a lot to me,” she stated. “I can’t consider that is taking place.”
