Sharks add Make-A-Wish superfan to team picture, invite her to drop puck
Thornton wears custom socks for Selena Urban, renal transplant patient
by Dan O'Leary @DanOLeary25 / NHL.com Staff Writer
Selena Urban only wanted to meet the San Jose Sharks. She ended up in the team picture.
Thanks to the Sharks Foundation and Make-A-Wish Bay Area, Urban, a renal transplant patient, had a pretty big weekend.
She attended practice on Friday and the team's game against the Ottawa Senators where she dropped the ceremonial first puck.
It was at practice where forward Joe Thornton asked her to join the 2019-20 Sharks team picture, which the team later made its header photo on Twitter.
But the surprises were only beginning.
Thornton showed her a pair of custom-made socks he ended up wearing to the game Saturday. The socks feature a cluster of photos of Urban's face, in which she is wearing her cap and gown from graduation.
Sharks coach Bob Boughner invited her to read the starting lineup in the locker room prior to puck drop.
On the way out of practice on Friday, Urban rode the team's Zamboni off the ice.
On Saturday, Thornton picked up Urban at her hotel before the game and gave her a tour of the locker room.
The warmup pucks spelled out her name.
Of course, when her big moment came, instead of captain Logan Couture taking the ceremonial faceoff, it was Thornton.
And why not, he had the socks for the occasion, after all.