Washington Capitals Fulfill Dream Of 12-Year-Old Fan Battling Brain Cancer

Liam Reigel spent 48 hours as a member of his beloved Caps.

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Published on February 22, 2023

This week, 12-year-old Liam Reigel took a break from life with cancer to spend 48 hours with his favorite hockey team.

Reigel, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in December, has been a fan of the Washington Capitals since he was a little boy.

With help from Make-A-Wish Foundation Mid-Atlantic, Reigel got to skate with the Caps during practice on Monday, work on his penalty shots, and meet his favorite player: Lars Eller.

“Today is a very special day,” Eller told the team. “Liam, he’s fighting the fight against cancer every day and he’s hanging in. Today is special because Liam had a wish, he wanted to come here and spend the day with us and come on the ice with us. Today we are going to make that wish come true.”

The next day, the youngster from Eldersburg, Maryland, got to read the starting lineup to the team before their game against the Detroit Red Wings. He then joined them on the bench for warmups.

Two days with his favorite team more than exceeded the young fan’s expectations.

"Honestly, a dream come true," Reigel told WUSA9. "Just to skate with the guys I've been watching for six years, just to skate with them, kinda get to know them, shoot on a goalie—it was great."

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