Honourable senators, last April, when the Edmonton Oilers were on their first real Stanley Cup run in eons, Edmonton journalist Courtney Theriault tweeted out a photo of a small boy standing on the ice of Rogers Place holding hands with a big, tall hockey player. The tweet read:

One is the most dominant force in Edmonton #Oilers history.

The other is Connor McDavid.

For a few magical months, the little boy in the photo, Ben Stelter, really was the most dominant force in Oilers history and in the hearts of Edmontonians. Ben had been diagnosed with a brain tumour called a glioblastoma shortly before his fifth birthday. When Edmonton philanthropist Ashif Mawji learned about Ben and how much he loved Connor McDavid, he arranged for the two to meet. Ben Stelter’s parents say there was an instant, special bond between the Oilers’ captain and his young fan. The whole team began inviting Ben to come to the games as their guest, and that was when the magic started. When Ben Stelter was in the house, it seemed the Oilers could not lose. Indeed, they won 10 home games in a row with Ben in attendance.

For a city desperate for a return to hockey glory, Ben’s story and his capacity to inspire the team were irresistible. We all fell in love with the giggling kid who gave a gleeful press conference alongside Oilers star Zach Hyman. How could your heart not melt at the sight of the determined joyous boy who called out, “Play ‘La Bamba,’ baby!” every time his team won. Through March, April and May, he was there to cheer as the Oilers first defeated Los Angeles then Calgary.

It wasn’t easy for the Stelters to bring him to so many games, with COVID an ever-present risk. But knowing how short his son’s life would inevitably be, his dad, Mike, told me they didn’t want him to miss out on any possible experience.

“It was a beautiful distraction for us,” his mom, Lea, told me. “It was worth it. The whole city was so sweet and so kind and so generous. It helped lift us up, on the hard days.”

And there were hard days — too many hard days. Last month, Ben Stelter died. He was 6 years old. He leaves to mourn his dad, Mike; his mom, Lea; his sisters, Dylan and Emmy; and the entire city of Edmonton. The Stelter family now hopes to establish a foundation in his name to research glioblastoma and other pediatric cancers. I already know his memory will forever be a blessing in Edmonton and whenever they play “La Bamba,” baby.