Young fan paints the pros 

Not everyone is lucky enough to receive a hand-painted birthday present from 15-year-old community member Kanonhkwí:ne Goodleaf, but last weekend Boston Bruins’ goaltender Jeremy Swayman joined the ranks, as the young artist reached up to push her work over the glass and into his hands during the team’s centennial game.

“I’m just so happy that he was able to see it, I couldn’t believe that he was in front of me,” Goodleaf said. “It made me feel really nice to see the big smile on his face after I handed it to him.”

Goodleaf spent around 20 hours working on the painting of Swayman, set on a background of the classic yellow of the Bruins, her favourite National Hockey League (NHL) team since she was small.

“I made it with some love and some chicken nugget fuel from my brother,” Goodleaf said.

Initially, a fellow spectator had tried to take the painting out of Goodleaf’s hands to put it over the glass himself, but she was determined to be the one to give it to Swayman directly. The official NHL social media accounts shared the video of Goodleaf passing the painting.

“I grabbed it back from him, but I couldn’t reach, so my brother lifted me up and I threw it over,” she said. “The NHL even commented that Swayman is for sure going to be putting it in his house, and I could see him showing it to people on the bench. I’m so happy that I got a view of it, and everyone could see me handing it to him.”

It’s not the first time that Goodleaf has painted a pro player. Earlier this year, she painted a portrait of Brandon Montour lifting the Stanley Cup and was able to give the gift to him personally in Six Nations.

Painting is her way of expressing her love of the game, and she was particularly excited to get her work to her favourite Bruin. Swayman gave Goodleaf a fist bump and winked at her as he accepted the gift, which Goodleaf said made her night.

“I told him that I hope he wins the Stanley Cup, and even maybe that he scores a goal this year,” said Goodleaf, who wrote a long happy birthday message on the back of the work. “After I gave my painting to him my eyes teared up and my heart was beating fast. I had butterflies, and it felt like I was walking on a cloud.”

The centennial game was particularly special for Goodleaf, who travelled to Boston as a special treat, after attaining a 100 average in math and making the honour roll at school.

The trip was made all the more sweet by the Bruins beating the Montreal Canadians 6-3 – perhaps in part due to the good luck charm of Goodleaf’s painting.

Goodleaf’s father, John Goodleaf, said he’s always impressed by his daughter’s art – especially when it focuses on his favourite team.

“There’s nothing more you can ask for than to see your kid excel in something that she loves,” he said. “We’re very proud of her and very happy with her accomplishments.”

John said that it’s no accident his offspring are die-hard Bruins fans – after all, he even managed to snap a picture of Kanonhkwí:ne sitting in the Stanley Cup as a baby, which appeared in The Eastern Door in 2011, months before they won the Cup, as she was all decked out in a miniature Bruins jersey. 

“I’ve been brainwashing her since she was born!” John said.

The family even stumbled upon the unveiling of the Bruin’s special Centennial Legacy Monument during their trip and were lucky enough to get front row seats at the unveiling.

The monument, which is in the shape of a bear, stands six feet tall, 10 feet long, and weighs 3,500 pounds.

Kanonhkwí:ne saw iconic Bruins figures at the event, including Bobby Orr – a favourite of her father’s – and even met Bruins player Brad Marchand, who signed her jersey.

“I told him to kick some ass at the game,” Kanonhkwí:ne said. “He said, ‘Are you from Montreal?’ and I said ‘Yeah,’ and he just laughed and said, ‘That’s awesome.’”

Kanonhkwí:ne is already dreaming up her next painting and figuring out more ways that she can honour her favourite team.

“It’s been a dream of mine ever since I was little to become a famous painter, like Bob Ross, or the guy that paints for the NHL,” Goodleaf said. “It just feels great to be a part of a team as big and bad as the Boston Bruins.”

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