VANCOUVER – When Justin McChesney suited up in his UBC Thunderbirds debut August 11th against the visiting Charlotte 49ers; it was one of the smallest children in the crowd who was cheering the loudest for the 6'10" first-year UBC centre.
Six-year-old Prince Rupert native Hudson Veldman has been a Justin McChesney "super fan" for nearly three years. He barely missed a Prince Rupert's Charles Hays Rainmakers game during McChesney's remarkable high school basketball career.
"To give you a sense of context," said Hudson's mother, Signi Solmundson. "Hudson saw his first NHL game in Anaheim this year. He told his father after the game that watching Justin McChesney was more exciting than watching the Anaheim Ducks."
Through a stroke of good luck Hudson and his family were in Vancouver the night McChesney would play his first game for the Thunderbirds, against a visiting NCAA Division One team no less.
It was simple decision. Head down to War Memorial Gym to cheer on Hudson's basketball idol.
"Besides the fact Hudson had the largest bag of popcorn he had ever seen in his life, definitely the highlights were the atmosphere," said Solmundson. "Hudson took advantage of getting some autographs from the Charlotte players before they got on their bus. He's kept the game program under his pillow and said he was never going to get rid of it. It was big life event for him."
McChesney didn't disappoint on the court. He came off the T-Bird bench to score 7 points in 15 minutes of work, including a three-pointer near the end of the shot clock. "A buzzer beater!" according to Hudson.
Flash-forward a few days later and there is a knock at the door of Hudson's family home in Prince Rupert. Hudson answers the door and looks way up in the sky. It's McChesney. He's come to thank Hudson for coming to the UBC-Charlotte game. Scheduling conflicts prevented the two from meeting up afterwards in Vancouver, so now something even better.
McChesney presents Hudson a signed picture from the game and a Thunderbird scarf. The two talk basketball for about twenty minutes in Hudson's living room.
"He's telling everyone he wants to be a Thunderbird and he was blown over when Justin came by yesterday to thank him for being at the game," said Solmundson. "I think it speaks to how powerful role models can be for little ones."
After McChesney had left, Hudson looked up to his mom, still with stars in his eyes and said; "Mom it was hard to talk to him because he is so tall. I can barely see his face."
