"We do not feel alone": Snow family is feeling the love from Flames fans
Not a single dry eye could be found in the Saddledome at the start of the Calgary Flames home opener on Wednesday night.
For a moment, hockey took a backseat as the team welcomed the family of Chris Snow, the late assistant GM of the club, to the ice for a special ceremony.
You're always in our hearts, Snowy ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ewdUtVptg1
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 12, 2023
Snow’s wife, Kelsie, was joined by his son, Cohen, and daughter, Willa, at centre ice for a ceremonial puck drop between Flames captain Mikael Backlund and Jets captain Adam Lowry.
Chris died at the age of 42 late last month after a long battle with ALS that was diagnosed in 2019. Initially, he was given just 12 months to live, but he was able to fight it for multiple years.
Kelsie stuck around after the ceremony to chat with Sportsnet reporter Ryan Leslie during the first intermission of the game.
Kelsie Snow joins @ryanlesliemedia to chat about the ceremony for Chris Snow, his legacy, and his family. pic.twitter.com/qD5Ay7FWVx
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 12, 2023
“We’re here and we’re just trying to take things one day at a time,” said Kelsie of how she and the kids are dealing with the loss of Chris. “It’s always good when we can be back around our hockey family.
“Chris loved an opening night so we are happy to be here and we just wish he was here with us.”
On top of the ceremony, the Flames are wearing helmet decals that say ‘Snowy’ this season.
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 9, 2023
Kelsie said she wasn’t surprised when the Flames told her they were planning a ceremony for the first game of the season, as the team had been nothing but supportive during Chris’ fight.
“This community has supported us so much over the last four and half years and I really can’t express how much that has meant to us,” said Kelsie. “Everyone is behind you whether you know them or not.
“I knew that was going to be overwhelming and I just told the kids to look around and soak it up and think about how many people their dad touched and how many people care about them.”
With that in mind, Kelsie wanted to relay a message of love to Flames fans for all the support that they have given her family during such a difficult time.
“The hardest thing about this is feeling like you are going to be alone,” said Kelsie. “This team, this community, and really this country has made sure at every step of the way that we do not feel alone.
“While we are missing the most important person in our lives, we know that we have a whole group of people and Chris helped create that for us.”
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