The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Sharks Foundation on Tuesday arranged for 17-year-old youth hockey player Sam Tageson, who has a "life-threatening heart condition," to practice with the Sharks and "skate onto the ice with the team through the trademark shark head Tuesday night" before the club's game against the Panthers, according to David Pollak of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Tageson before the game was allowed to "stand on the blue line during the national anthem" with the Sharks' starting lineup. Sharks GM Doug Wilson prior to the game "signed Tageson to a contract," after which he "participated in the morning's events" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 3/19). The HOCKEY NEWS' Adam Proteau noted Tageson was the "first-ever non-player in team history to skate through the giant Shark head for the pre-game warmup." Reaction on social media to the Sharks' gesture "has been immense," and Wilson "received scores of calls from people who were hugely impressed." Wilson indicated that "what took place was simply a reflection of the inherent decency of everyone associated with the sport." He said, "If you were in the building, I’m sure you’d have seen that there wasn’t anyone who wasn’t in tears. What’s great about our game is the impact we can have on people’s lives. Our players just embraced Sam and the whole experience" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 3/19).
