Goaltender Jimmy Howard‘s tenure with the Detroit Red Wings may be at an end, but there will be fans who will look back fondly at his career in the Motor City.
Perhaps none more than Kelly Rothe, whom Howard surprised with a gift of flowers in the Red Wings locker room at Joe Louis Arena back in March of 2014.
At the time, Rothe was preparing to undergo a preventative double-mastectomy to prevent a future case of breast cancer, which had claimed the lives of her mother and aunt.
As part of a dinner at the Olympia Club her family arranged for her, she got to take a peek inside the Red Wings locker room. That’s when she got the surprise of a lifetime:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb56SDxjeaE
“Oh my God!,” Rothe exclaimed. “Jimmy Howard just gave me flowers! Oh my God.”
“It’s uplifting for both of us,” Howard said. “She’s such a courageous young girl. I guess I shouldn’t say girl. She’s 20 years old. But she’s really brave in what she’s doing. For me, it’s nice to be able to return the favor.
“To be 20 years old and going through this, it’s got to be nerve wracking but at the same time she’s shown a lot of courage.”
– – Quotes via Brendan Savage of MLive Link – –
