Penguins host young fan Myer Gallant at practice through Make-A-Wish

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Myer Gallant’s jaw dropped when looking at a contract, neatly placed on a table by Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas.

“Shocked,” the 10-year-old Penguins fan said.

Myer is from O’Leary, Prince Edward Island, Canada. He has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic disease impacting the nervous system and skeletal muscle.

The journey is difficult. On Wednesday, the Penguins made it just a little more palatable. Myer, as part of Make-A-Wish Foundation, signed a special one-day contract to become the team’s newest member.

Pittsburgh won’t make a more important move this season.

“I think it just shows the impact that the Penguins, but all of sports, can make on young people and on a community, and on their families,” Dubas said. “To be able to give back to people who make that level of investment in the Penguins is something that I think we’re always thrilled to do.”

Sidney Crosby and Ryan Graves are two of Myers’ favorite players. Crosby (Cole Harbor, Nova Scotia) and Graves (Yarmouth, Nova Scotia) are also from the Maritime provinces of Canada.

“It’s fun,” Crosby said. “Fun to show him around. Being a fellow Maritimer, I think that’s pretty cool. Hope he enjoys the day. It’s certainly nice having him around. Hope it’s a great experience for him.

“I think it’s inspiring. I think it puts things in perspective. The fact that he wants to spend time here and experience the day with us, I think means a lot to us. We hope that it’s something that he really enjoys and has great memories of.”

Graves traded gifts with Myer. The defenseman felt fortunate to meet him after being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.

“He’s a great kid,” Graves said. “It’s special to be able to be part of something like that. Obviously, it’s a normal day for us there. You take for granted, kind of, the life you’re able to live, not just playing hockey for a living, but just in general. Obviously, getting to hang with him for a little bit, you see him smiling all morning. That kind of brings things into a bigger picture.

“He brought me some stuff. It was a bad exchange. I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain. But he brought me some stuff from home. ... He brought some little treats, some homemade stuff. I think a couple of his neighbors made some mustard pickles, some salsa and stuff like that. He’s got one up on me, so now I owe him.”

Myer often watches the Penguins on television. His parents, Randy and Jaclyn Gallant, aren’t as in-tune but are supportive, as long as the late starts don’t interfere with getting enough rest for school.

“He’s been waiting for this for a long while,” Randy said. “[The Penguins] went over and above. When he got here and he’d seen his jersey, it was something else.”

The jersey was Crosby’s No. 87. Myer had breakfast in the locker room and wore it during a press conference with Dubas. He watched practice along the glass before returning to the room for autographs.

“It’s not about us at all, it’s about Myer,” Jaclyn said. “It’s been great. They go through so much medically. There’s been a lot that he’s gone through, and more to come that he isn’t aware of yet. So, to have joy like this, where he can just experience all the good things is just pretty amazing.”

The family drove to Tampa Bay to watch the Penguins face the Lightning last season. They’ll attend a game against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SNO, SNE).

Pittsburgh has scored two total goals in three straight losses (0-2-1). They won their previous six following an eight-game losing streak (0-4-4).

That push and pull could be daunting. Then, someone like Myer comes along.

“You get reminders as you go through the season,” Dubas said. “It has its ups and downs, and it doesn’t always go the way that you want. ... It’s always a great reminder to see the impact that you can make on people.”