WATCH: Edmontonians gather in street to honor late Oilers fan, Ben Stelter
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Fans honor Ben Stelter
While Ben Stelter was a fan of the Edmonton Oilers, the team and their fans all loved Ben heartily. After a long period of hard battles, the little 6 years old passed away earlier this month.
His premature death affected not only the Oilers but also the other NHL teams and especially the Edmontonians. They hosted a sprawling, somber memorial as they celebrated Ben’s life.
“A memory that will always be with us” – Twitter along with Edmontonians mourn for Ben Stelter’s death
In March 2021, Ben Stelter was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer. But he overcame his adversities with his big lovely giggle. After every Oiler’s victory, he would shout out “ Play La Bamba, baby”, which became a popular catchphrase.
During the playoffs, his videos lit up social media. The Oilers also hosted him for a game, where he befriended captain Connor McDavid and became a fan favorite at Rogers place, as noted on nhl.com.
McDavid noted, “I thought ‘Woody’ made a great point: athletes have an impact on kids, but Ben had such a great impact on our team and myself, even in the short time we knew him”. “He was just such an amazing kid, so strong, so brave. When you watch anyone go through that, especially when you’re 5 or 6 years old, it’s truly inspiring. He was such a fighter. Just an awful, awful day.”
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This Friday, streets lit up outside the arena on which the message “Ben Stelter forever in our hearts. Play La Bamba, baby!” was noted. The fans brought signs and postcards with Stelter’s picture on it which said, “We miss you”, and “Rest easy Ben”. While the Edmonton fire and rescue team and even a full police escort led a slow roll of cars in tribute to the 6-year-old Ben Stelter.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2176 Articles Published)