Tarasenko 'renews belief in humanity' by bringing young fan on road trip
Vladimir Tarasenko made the trip to Arizona well worth it for Arianna Dougan.
Back in February, the St. Louis Blues star winger surprised Arianna, a young fan undergoing cancer treatment, with a trip for two on the team's charter for late-season games in Arizona and Colorado for her 11th birthday.
On Wednesday, during the first of the two games, Tarasenko scored a goal on the Coyotes, an added bonus.
But even before that, he knew he had done more than enough to make it a memorable trip.
"If you look in her eyes right now, me and my wife make the right decision to buy this and make this little present," he said on the flight to Arizona, per Lou Korac of NHL.com. "It's not much, but when you make a kid happy, this means a lot."
To their credit, the Coyotes did their part to welcome Arianna to Gila River Arena.
A heartfelt thank you to the @ArizonaCoyotes for their hospitality and for welcoming Ari to Gila River Arena tonight. ð pic.twitter.com/0rZLk1z6JL
â St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 30, 2017
"This stranger to us who has befriended our family and done so much for us, he just has the biggest heart and is the kindest person," said Arianna's mother, Lori Zucker. "It's just amazing. It renews your belief in humanity when you meet someone that is so nice and generous."
Arianna and her family will also be in attendance when the Blues visit the Avalanche on Saturday.