‘It warms my heart’: P-O Joseph and His New Special Shoes

A smart hockey player will put his best foot forward to win a race down the ice, box out an opponent in front of their net, or slide into position for a one-time clapper. In Canucks defenceman P-O Joseph’s case, putting his best foot forward also means bringing a much-needed smile to some huge hockey fans’ faces at BC Children’s Hospital.

Earlier this season, a group of Canucks players visited the hospital to hang out with some kids and their families. Joseph wanted to do more than just show up and sign a few autographs, so he came up with a cool idea to get the children involved in his pregame outfit.

“I just asked if I could bring a pair of white shoes, and we could paint with the kids, let them be creative, and just be themselves. And it turns out, the shoes are really nice, and I’m excited about them,” said Joseph.

A simple idea and thoughtful gesture by Joseph turned the whole visit into a moment everyone involved would remember. By bringing a special group of people together to help celebrate the great game of hockey, and adding a little fashionable flair to the occasion. The spirit of the process allows the kids to walk a mile in Joseph’s shoes as he enters the arena to play the game he loves.

The 26-year-old defenceman has a passion for fashion and said the enjoyment from the kids was the best part of seeing his idea come to fruition.

“I told them, ‘Do whatever you want and be creative,’ that’s what kids do. They’re just out there having fun, imagining stuff, and using their imagination to paint the shoes and write their names was awesome. I have a bunch of little names on it and different colours and drawings from different kids. It’s a nice touch.”

An NHL player has the unique opportunity and power to connect with and inspire all kinds of people, and it’s a beautiful thing to see these players step up in the community to help brighten the day of some kids who could really use it.

“We are professional athletes, but we are humans first. We all come to Earth; we’re all going to leave Earth. In between is what you decide to do. I just decided to have some fun with the kids. I would do this with any kids, really, and that was the perfect occasion. I just went in there and just tried to be a kid for a day,” said Joseph.

“Just to see them in that situation, it’s hard, and you know, there are people going through stuff, and to me, there’s more to life than hockey. This was my way of feeling more human. It just breaks my heart, but at the same time, it’s nice to see the kids smiling. We had a good day doing that visit.”