Nathan MacKinnon’s biggest fan is pretty little. Julian, who just turned five, was at the Pepsi Center with his dad Philip for Fan Appreciation Night on Thursday.
Not only did the Avs beat the Jets in overtime, securing their playoff berth, but Julian’s seat was also selected for the “Jersey off our back” post-game event.
Julian soon found out he would get the gameworn jersey of his number-one favorite player: Number 29, Nathan MacKinnon.
Mom Alaina was watching from home with their other son Finley, doing her best to keep up with the updates from her husband and Avs’ Twitter. Philip had left early for the game, like usual, because Julian always wanted to be early enough to high-five players and watch them warm up.
OMG my 5 year old is at the @Avalanche game with his dad and his seat was picked to go on the ice after the game and he gets a jersey from a player. i’m dying. this little deserves it so much pic.twitter.com/Cf0HMwKNB0
— x-alaina isbouts (@alainaisbouts) April 5, 2019
After the third period started Philip and Julian were escorted down to the ice to prepare for the fan appreciation ceremony. “They watched the game-tying, and overtime game-winning goal, from the tunnel right by the ice,” Alaina shared.
After the Avs finished their celebratory hugs, Julian and Philip walked onto the ice and waited in line with other fans until number 29 was called forward.
This little guy got the jersey off No. 29’s back.
One of our favorite traditions ❤️#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/1MX5BaI0Sd— x- Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 5, 2019
Six-foot-tall Nathan MacKinnon knelt to chat with Julian face-to-face, sign his poster, give him a (still slightly moist) autographed game-worn jersey, and pose for pictures.
Video: @Avalanche
For his fifth birthday in March, Julian had brought a poster to the Avs game hoping MacKinnon “would see his sign and maybe toss him a puck or even just wave to him,” Alaina said.
There was luck for the birthday boy with ‘Nate-Dogg’ that night. Instead, it was Philipp Grubauer who delivered on the puck.
Oh my goodness–Grubi threw the lovely @alainaisbouts‘s kiddo a puck for his 5th birthday, and he was so happy about it! It looks like Grubi’s taking good care of his new @Avalanche fans 💕 #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/o1tCyvGUUd
— b. (@youripides) March 24, 2019
Younger brother Finley is the Grubauer fan of the family. According to Alaina, Fin is the biggest Avs/Caps hybrid fan ever. “Sometimes he asks to watch Holtby ‘make the saves’ so we look up his highlight reel on youtube,” Alaina says.
He’s dressed up as Holtby for Halloween and even introduced himself as Holtby from time to time — including when he met Grubauer at a preseason event.
For older brother Julian, it’s Avs, Avs, Avs. He became a fan almost exactly a year ago during a playoff watch party. After his parents got season tickets he attended his first live game in October.
Getting to see your team make it to the playoffs, for the second consecutive season, would have been enough of a treat for any Avalanche fan. But “for Julian to get that jersey last night was…just truly unbelievable,” said Alaina, who was at home “literally crying tears of joy for him…When he finally got home, we didn’t get him to bed until 11:30 last night!”
He hasn’t stopped talking about it since.
Headline image: @alainaisbouts
