Vancouver Canucks superfan travels to see them play on trip of a lifetime with Air Canada Fan Flight
Vancouver Canucks fan Lincoln Antonenko arrived at the airport one Friday morning in February thinking he was going on a family vacation to Kelowna. He had no idea the dream trip he was about to embark on.
When Lincoln arrived at check-in, he was surprised by Fin, the Canucks mascot. The big whale delivered the exciting news that Lincoln and his family weren’t flying to Kelowna but instead to Las Vegas, where Lincoln would get to watch his first-ever in-person Canucks game.
“We thought we were going to Kelowna, but then the flight attendant said, ‘You’re not going to Kelowna, you’re going to Las Vegas to see the Canucks play!’ I was so surprised!” said Lincoln. After the big surprise, the trip was underway.
The trip was part of the Air Canada Fan Flight program, which gives deserving young Canadian sports fans the chance to see their favourite team play in cities across North America.
This year, recipients were selected solely through the Air Canada Foundation, which supports Canadian charities focused on children’s health and well-being. The Air Canada Foundation is focused on fostering hope for kids facing adversity and encourages them to spread their wings. The Air Canada Fan Flight is an excellent way to give these deserving youth once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Lincoln lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but that doesn’t stop him from getting onto the ice and playing hockey through Hockey Education Reaching Out Society’s (HEROS) SuperHEROS program. His nickname is “747” because he flies like a Boeing 747 across the ice.
Noah Strang/Daily Hive
Lincoln gets to be a VIP on Canucks gameday
The Air Canada Fan Flight included far more than just a flight to Las Vegas and a ticket to the game. Gameday started with a visit to morning skate where head coach Rick Tocchet and winger Jake DeBrusk, who is Lincoln’s favourite player, each spent time chatting with Lincoln.
Noah Strang/Daily Hive
“It was really wonderful,” said Lincoln, talking about meeting Tocchet and DeBrusk. “I actually met Jake in November at the SuperHEROS fundraiser. He gave me a nice stick [today], and I really loved it. He [also] gave me a picture of him on the ice.”
The exciting morning only raised anticipation for the game. That night, the entire family walked over to T-Mobile Arena to watch the Canucks take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights know how to put on a show. From an elaborate pre-game introduction to excellent intermission entertainment, the entire game was a lot of fun. It almost made everyone forget the final score, which ended with the Golden Knights beating the Canucks 3-1.
While the Canucks scored just a single goal, it was Lincoln’s favourite player, DeBrusk, who found the back of the net.
While the game was definitely a highlight, Lincoln and his family also participated in various non-hockey activities in Las Vegas.
Lincoln is a huge aviation fan, so the trip needed to include a visit to the Flyover attraction on the strip as well as a nighttime helicopter ride.
“Perfect weather, lots of stuff to do, nice room with a view of the airport,” he said about the city.
The trip of a lifetime ended with a flight back to Vancouver on Monday. While the on-ice result wasn’t what Lincoln wanted, the Air Canada Fan Flight experience was something he and his family will never forget.
The author of this story was hosted in Las Vegas by Air Canada and the Air Canada Fan Flight program.