As a member of the media covering the Canadiens, I'm often asked what the players are like.

In all honesty, I don't know.

Yes, we speak to them on a regular basis, but we rarely get any real insight into what kind of people the players are.

I was contacted just after Christmas by a friend of mine who had a story that provided just a hint of that insight on P.K. Subban, and he wanted me to share that story with all of you.

As you read the story, you should also realize that players do selfless things like this all the time, often times away from the glare of television cameras. I covered a story last year about a Midget hockey player who suffered a severe spinal injury when he was hit from behind, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Within days, Brian Gionta had gone to visit him to try and put a smile on his face.

That's only one example of these quiet acts of kindness, and this is another one.

So here, in the words of a father who was touched by a kind gesture, is a tale of how Subban brought a bit of joy to a young girl in dire need of some.


My name is Yosi Knecht, my 5-year-old daughter has been undergoing treatment for Leukemia at the Montreal Children's Hospital since August 26th. She has been at the hospital (and confined to her room) for 80% of that time.

On Saturday, December 25th, the children in the Oncology Ward were treated to a special visit, one that prompted me to contact my friend Arpon Basu. That afternoon, Canadiens rookie P.K. Subban showed up bearing gifts for the children; he did so with no cameras present and no other teammates, just P.K. and his agent. Even though he had visited a few weeks earlier, when the team made their annual visit, P.K. showed up on Christmas Day to try to bring some more joy to the kids.

I decided to write to Arpon because I thought people should know about this kind gesture. I have been a Habs fan my whole life and I know full well how tough this town can be on their players. Subban is a 21-year-old rookie who is going through a tough first season. Since he arrived with much fanfare he has been subjected to a lot of scrutiny, some of it related to his character.

I am not writing this to defend him as a hockey player, nor as a person, as I do not know him personally. I am writing this because I think that the people who are judging him should have a more complete picture of who he is. They should know that a 21-year-old kid (let's remember he is still a kid) took the time to do something selfless and kind on Christmas Day. He had a day off in between road trips and he could have easily just taken the time for himself, but instead he decided to give of himself.

This one little gesture doesn't tell the whole story of who he is, but at least it adds another element to consider for those looking to throw stones his way.

While his choices on the ice are getting him a lot of negative feedback, the choice he made on Christmas Day was a great one. He brought a little bit of sunshine to some children who desperately need it.

My daughter takes out her autographed P.K. Subban picture (as well as the ones by the four other players she met when the entire team visited) and Canadiens flag whenever we watch the Habs on TV. She likes me to point out the players that she met when they appear on screen. She's only five years old, but as she gets older I am sure that she will appreciate what happened on Christmas Day more and more.

I was not at the hospital when he visited (my wife was), otherwise I would have told him the following:

"Thank you for coming to try to make Christmas at the hospital more bearable for these kids, it's really nice of you, and it shows great maturity that you chose to do this with your time. Try not to worry too much about what gets said about you and written about you, Montreal's a real tough town to play hockey in. I hope you have a long and successful career with the Habs, I'll be rooting for you."

Happy Holidays!