The Weekly Wraparound
The week’s biggest hits, misses, and moments.
Welcome to The Weekly Wraparound - a quick rundown of the biggest moments, surprises, laughs, and stories from around the hockey world this week. If Beyond-the-Ice is where I dive deep, this is where we keep it simple and wrap up the week in one place. Let’s get into it………….
❤️I actually wanted to start this week’s Wraparound with Weston’s story, because it’s the one that stayed with me the most. It’s heartbreaking, but also really beautiful in the way the hockey community wrapped around him and his family. He was just a little boy who loved the game, and the way everyone showed up for him is a reminder that hockey is so much more than what happens on the ice. Some stories just put everything into perspective, and this was one of them.❤️
🏒🥅A Hockey Fan’s Final Shift
Weston Paszkiewicz, just 10 years old, battled leukemia for months and was granted a dream-day with the Minnesota Wild through the Make‑A‑Wish Foundation — signing a one-day contract, skating with the team, and feeling the roar of the rink. CBS News+2KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News+2 Tragically, he passed away peacefully at home while watching a hockey game surrounded by family. CBS News The Wild honoured him by asking fans to leave hockey sticks outside in his memory, calling him “such a courageous young man” who impacted everyone he came in contact with. NHL+1
Weston’s story is one of those moments that stops you for a second. It reminds us that hockey is more than a sport - it’s a family, a place where even the smallest fan can touch the biggest hearts. As tough as it is to lose someone so young, the way the hockey world wrapped around him shows exactly what makes this community special.
😇The Judging Angel: Junior Hockey’s Best Mascot Moment of the Week
In a game between the Spruce Grove Saints (BCHL) and the Vernon Vipers, the Saints’ mascot “Chucky The Angel” skated over during a TV timeout, stood directly in front of the glass of the Vipers’ penalty box and stared down the penalized player. ESPN.com
The player, forward Leon Bussmann, had been issued a misconduct penalty for an illegal check to the head. The mascot’s stare lasted for “a hilariously uncomfortable amount of time” and Bussmann visibly looked away, then eventually smiled. ESPN.com
The twist: the person inside the mascot suit is a 14-year-old middle-school student, which adds to the humor of the situation. The act was apparently thought of as a fun bit during a TV timeout (“This would be really fricking funny,” he said). ESPN.com
After serving his penalty, the player went on to score his first goal of the season, helping send the game to overtime - the mascot joked the player maybe “repented for his sins.” ESPN.com
🥅Saves of the week (NHL edition):
NHL goalies doing what they do best: making saves that absolutely should not be possible. We’re talking full-stretch desperation, blind swats, pucks hitting everything but the back of the net. Half these saves defy science, but every rink mom watching is like, “Yep, that’s exactly why my kid wants to be a goalie.”
💵Junior Hockey Raises Funds-Community Awareness:
The Post University men’s ice hockey team hosted a Military Appreciation night where they raised around $8,000 for the United Heroes League and collected food-bank items for their community. Post University
“We constantly look to give back to the communities we serve as much as possible.” Captain of the Post University Men’s Ice Hockey team Post University
❗️A Big Shift Coming to Canadian Hockey:
Legal proceedings are underway involving current and former players in Canada’s major junior hockey leagues, who allege that the leagues agreed to divide recruiting territories and limited competition for players’ services. California AG
If true, this could represent a major shift in how junior hockey teams recruit and treat players - potentially affecting players’ choices and opportunities.
The legal implications might force changes in governance, player movement, and league-structure in junior hockey.
From a development standpoint, it raises questions about fairness and access for players in lesser-known regions or outside established territories.
Take-away: For junior players, parents, and those involved in development, this story is worth keeping an eye on - the outcomes could reshape how junior hockey operates in Canada.
😇Feel-Good Finish:
To end the week, here’s a moment that stuck with me. At a junior game, a little kid was chosen to take the first shot. His gear was oversized, his helmet kept slipping, and every step looked like it took all the balance he had. But he kept going. He reached the puck, pulled his stick back, and sent a soft, wobbly shot toward the net — and it somehow slipped right through the goalie’s pads. The whole rink lit up. Players banged their sticks, parents cheered, and that kid skated off with the kind of pride only hockey can give.
It was a small thing, but it felt big. A reminder of why we show up, why we cheer, and why this sport matters so much to the kids who fall in love with it.