TOLEDO (WTOL) - Among the 8,000 fans at the Huntington Center cheering on the Walleye any given night, it’s not hard to spot Josh Davis.
The little 6-year-old positioned right behind the bench steals the show and his personality will steal your heart.
His energy is contagious. His smile is infectious. His bright red hair is unmistakable.
Josh Davis loves his Walleye.
When you see him, you’d never know how strong he’s had to be.
Josh was born with Cerebral Palsy. Before he was born, he had a stroke due to lack of oxygen. He’s spent his entire life in therapy trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
He lives for hockey. He’s grown up going to Walleye games.
His disabilities can’t keep him off the ice. He plays for the Walleye sled hockey team. It’s his chance to play the game he loves. Tuesday night, he got a chance to play against the team he loves.
His bond with this Walleye team goes deeper than most. He’s developed the most unlikely of friendships with Defenseman Kevin Tansey.
“It takes a minute to really break it down like that and realize the impact that you’re making on some of these guys,” said Tansey. “It’s a big deal. It’s fun. It brings a joy to see that what you’re doing is good and it’s helping people around you and making the world a better place as much as you can.
The relationship started at the rink, but now, it’s gone way beyond hockey.
“They have this little connection and this bond almost like brothers,” says Josh’s Mom. “They get each other laughing and their laugh is just a joyful symphony. It’s wonderful. We’re really blessed to have him spend his time with us.”
This past week, Tansey pulled off a major surprise. On Halloween night, he showed up at Josh’s house.
“First, Kevin Tansey knocked,” says Josh. “Then he said ‘trick-or-treat’ and I gave him my favorite kind of candy. The Chocolate.”
“We let him in and he kinda stepped in,” said Mom Michele. “and he (Josh) stepped back like ‘why are you letting a big, huge guys in our house?’”
“He took his mask off and it was him!” said Josh.
“He was pretty excited,” said Tansey. “We played floor hockey for a little bit, then we had some pizza, and we went trick-or-treating.”
It was a moment that Josh won’t forget. A night filled with candy and pizza and laughs. A relationship that started at the rink, that’s become so much more.
