Generous stranger replaces 9-year-old goalie's stolen hockey equipment worth $2,700

When Marni Still realized her nine-year-old son's goalie equipment was stolen out of their family van last week, she was devastated.

"I was just so upset that someone would do this to a child over Christmas," she said. 

The stolen gear included a well-loved jersey from a family friend and a basketball-sized ball made of used hockey tape that had sentimental value to her son Lincoln, she said.

The family from Selkirk, Man., made the discovery right before Lincoln was to attend a two-day hockey camp. Still said the hardest part was having to break the news to their youngest that he would have to miss it.

"It was just full tears immediately, and he just couldn't understand why someone would want to take his stuff. A little nine-year-old brain doesn't comprehend that," she said.

That's when Still decided to take to social media with a plea for people to keep a look out for anyone trying to sell the gear.

Her family had already started filling out paperwork to claim the loss through their house insurance — which would have cost them a $500 deductible, plus the annual discount they'd lose for making the claim — when a former goalie from British Columbia saw her Facebook post and reached out to offer his help.

"Of course, I was in tears, because it was a really stressful few days," she said.

"I couldn't believe it. I still get teary about it."

The equipment that was stolen had been bought over time as Still and her husband, Rick, could afford it, and they estimated it was worth thousands of dollars.

For a family with three other kids age 10 to 16 — including another hockey goalie — the hefty price of a whole new set of equipment was more than they could swing on their own.

'What hockey is about'

The donor got in touch with Keystone Source for Sports, where Still had been getting help tracking down replacement items, and covered the whole bill. Altogether, it ended up costing just shy of $2,700, Still said.

The donor, who asked that his name not be made public, said someone once helped him out in a similar situation, and he wanted to pay it forward, she said.

"I can't say enough about how blessed we feel right now," Still said.

"At a time where there's so much negativity out there right now in the world, and even surrounding hockey half of the time, this really makes you remember what hockey is about, and it's about this large hockey family."

Lincoln couldn't believe the news, either. Now all he has to worry about is breaking in his new gear.

"He feels really, really special," Still said.

"He's gone from the kid that was so upset for days, because he just couldn't wrap his brain around how someone would do this to him, to not being able to believe someone would do this for him."

They're working on setting up a meeting between Lincoln and the man they call his hero — and hoping his favourite jersey and massive tape ball will be returned safely.