August 14 was just an ordinary Tuesday evening for the kids playing floorball at Virden Junior High. Until an NHL hockey player dropped in.
Travis Sanheim of the Philadelphia Flyers is originally from Elkhorn. He was back in the area for a visit with family and friends when his pal Kelsey McLeod, who organizes the floorball program, invited him to come out and give the young players a thrill.
McLeod said, “The kids had a blast playing with an NHLer!”
Sanheim played a game of floorball (similar to floor hockey) with the children, signed their hockey sticks and posed for pictures.
McLeod says talking Sanheim into the surprise visit wasn’t a tough sell.
“When I saw Travis at Elkhorn Western Weekend, I thought it would be pretty cool to have an NHLer join us one night.
“I just texted him asking if he would be interested in coming out to play floorball and sign autographs. He said he would love to and next thing you know, he’s out there Tuesday night, talking with all the kids and having fun with them in the gym.”
“Trav is a pretty easy-going guy and being from a small town he is very community oriented so I definitely appreciate him coming out. I’m sure there will be a few more Philadelphia Flyer fans now that he made an appearance at our floorball.”
Sanheim began his hockey career in Elkhorn playing midget AAA hockey with his twin brother Taylor. He joinedthe Calgary Hitmen of the WHL, then the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, and started the 2017-18 season with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers.
