Losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is about as tough a feeling as sports has to offer. But by its very nature, you usually don’t have to look very far to find joy.
Laila Anderson, the 11-year-old Blues superfan who forged a special relationship with the team, was at TD Garden Wednesday night to watch St. Louis best the Bruins for their first Stanley Cup championship. St. Louis brought her along, figuring they could use all the strength they could muster.
Anderson, after all, is no stranger to hard-fought victories. She has a rare, life-threatening immune disease called HLH and received a bone marrow transplant in January.
Anderson grew particularly close to Blues player Colton Parayko and it was Parayko who met Anderson on the Garden ice.
“He’s just my best friend,” Anderson said.
Parayko lowered the cup for her to kiss — a hallowed sports tradition not usually reserved for fans — and the best friends let out a scream of victory.
“I wasn’t ready for this night to start because I’m not ready for it to end,” Anderson said afterward.
Joe Giza, a sports producer at WBZ, captured the special moment.
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