Ontario boy gives passionate pre-game speech to his favourite hockey team
A six-year-old Ontario boy won the opportunity to address his favourite hockey team and video of the passionate pre-game speech has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
OHL team Peterborough Petes held their 'Next Gen' game on Sunday, where kids sign single-day contracts to see what it's like to be part of a professional hockey league.
Six-year-old Callan Perks, who is an avid hockey fan, told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday that when his mom told him about the chance to audition for the event he just "had to win."
After the Peterborough Petes posted Callan's audition video online, it racked up more than 55,000 views in just a few days.
He was then selected as head coach for the Next Gen game.
On Sunday, wearing a suit and tie, Callan, who admits he was slightly nervous, entered the dressing room to give his passionate speech to his hockey idols.
"Hi, this is my speech for tonight," Callan starts off by saying. "Here we go."
"Legends are made every day and you could be one of the greats," Callan says. "We’re going to do whatever it takes to get the win."
"Get in there. That's your puck … We won't let those 67’s get a win in our barn … Let's go!"
At the end of the speech, the players give Callan a loud round of applause.
"I've loved hockey since I was young, so this was a dream come true," Callan said. “When they were looking at me, I was just so excited to be giving them a speech and be in that room."
Since the Peterborough Petes posted the video of Callan’s speech, it has been shared by hundreds of people and it now has nearly 97,000 views on Facebook and 245,000 times on Twitter.
Callan says he has done several television and radio interviews and even appeared on U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America.
"I couldn't believe that one speech could become this famous," Callan said. "I saw myself on TV. I just couldn’t believe I could do that."
While Callan only signed a one-day contract with the Peterborough Petes, he says his days in professional hockey are far from over.
He says he wants to play in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers when he’s older.
"I want to be in the NHL, but when I'm 45, I want to be coach or a general manager. So I will stick with hockey for my whole life."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.