Until a few days ago, Danny Briere never knew Michael Pageau, an 11-year-old who lives in Gatineau.
Not until RDS hockey reporter Renaud Lavoie wrote a blog about the boy on the networks website.
The youngster is among Brieres biggest fans and was facing a life-threatening surgery.
This past Monday, the child underwent 14 hours of brain surgery at Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa to remove a tumor. Doctors were unable to remove the entire tumor in one surgery.
Michael is a bantam hockey player in Quebec.
Turns out that Briere's friend, Robert Frenette, is Michaels hockey coach. Frenette arranged for the boy to contact Briere.
Michael texted Briere, asking him to score a goal for him in Game 3 against the New Jersey Devils.
NHL
Sure enough, Briere scored a third period goal that sent Game 3 into overtime where the Flyers lost, 4-3.
After the game, Briere, who is among the most active and involved Flyers within the Philadelphia-area community, taped a message on RDS television for Michael with Lavoie.
This is the puck, Michael, Briere said, holding the puck up. It is with me and the next time I see you, I will give it to you.
Michael, incidentally, is the cousin of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, a fourth-round 2011 draft pick of the Senators.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net