I have often talked about all of the top notch things the Penguins organization has done for the people of Pittsburgh and it's fan base over the years since the Lemieux Group took over operation of the team. Be it having players deliver season tickets to fan's homes, providing pizza for students waiting for hours in line for tickets, or distributing turkeys at local food banks. The organization just goes above and beyond to give back to the community.

Well, they have done it again. I know that I previously reported on the fact that Penguins partnered with the Make a Wish Foundation of Pittsburgh to help them grant their 10,000th wish as a chapter, but it needed to be mentioned again. The way that the Penguins management and players granted this wish was just amazing. It was probably one of neatest things that I have ever seen a professional sports organization do and they probably made a lot of dreams come true for a local boy.

Jacob Anderson, age 8 of Connellsville, was brought to the Igloo to meet with Penguins general manager Ray Shero yesterday morning and signed a one day contract. He was given a tour of the Penguins locker room and helped the team prepare for their game day skate. When he took a look at the board showing the line combos for practice, he saw that he actually replaced Matt Cooke on the Penguins top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

He got to spend time with the players, received plenty of hugs and learned how to sharpen skates with Penguins equipment manager Dana Heinze. He then got to watch the pre-game warm up from the penalty box before being whisked to rinkside seats right on the glass. However, the thrills weren't over yet.

During a break in the action, Penguins Radio Network host Bob Grove, broke in on the jumbotron with breaking news. The team announced the signing of 8 year old Jacob Anderson and showed footage of him putting pen to paper, holding a jersey up for pictures and touring the facility. They also made an official player graphic for him that matched that of every other Penguins player.

Here is a look at the video that was shown last night, thanks to Pens TV:



Overall, it was an amazing day for an 8 year old who probably really needed one. I will never forget the smile that was on his face when they showed him sitting in his seat at the game. I am also pretty sure that Jacob will never forget what the Penguins did for him on this day either...

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Here are some quotes on Jacob's day from the Penguins official website:

Cooke's thoughts on being taken off of the top line in favor of Anderson:

“Do I mind? Not at all,” Cooke said. “It’s a chance in a lifetime for me, and it is for him. Obviously, he’ll relish it.”

Matt Cooke seemed to take a special interest in this situation and made a point to whisk young Jacob onto the ice late in the practice session...from the Pens official website:

Jacob’s long-eye lashed, dark brown eyes lit up as Cooke carried him onto the Mellon Arena ice and zipped the blond-headed boy around the rink during the final minutes of the practice. The special moment brought tears to the eyes of Jacob’s mom, Crystal.

“For Cooke to do that, he’s top notch,” Jacob’s dad, Ronnie said.

Cooke carried Jacob over to the bench to meet head coach Michel Therrien and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He also skated the youngster over to Crosby who chatted with his new linemate.

Cooke explains his vested interest:

“We have to really look at when we were kids - to get that opportunity, to be able to come out and hang out with a bunch of players, I know that I would have been in awe,” Cooke said. “So, I was just trying to make it as much fun and as memorable as possible for him.”

Matt Cooke showed Jacob how to shoot the puck and he actually slipped one by Marc Andre Fleury:

“I gave it my all,” Fleury said. “I didn’t want him to get much on me and show him who’s the king on the ice. I think I did (well). He still scored, so I think we’re even. He did a good job.”

The actual conversation with Ray Shero went something like this:

Shero briefed Jacob on the contents of the contract, and Jacob’s dad asked if it included a no-trade clause.

“Do you have an agent?” Shero responded, and everyone laughed.

Jacob informed Shero that he plays right wing.

“Perfect,” Shero said. “That’s what we’re looking for.”

Jacob was eager to sign with the club and merely asked, “Do I sign my full name?”

As I said, this was an amazing thing for the Penguins to do and another sign of their strong commitment to community service...

More tomorrow...

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