A 10-year-old fan got to go on a surprise date with Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals forward and the man of her dreams, after the Oct. 5 game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Washington Post reports the youngster from Laurel Md., Ann Schaab, has Down syndrome and met the hockey star at an event where she was playing with the Washington Ice Dogs, an ice hockey team for people with developmental disabilities. She asked him out to eat sushi and play kickball.
Then she was invited to a morning skate and to take a tour of the practice facility. When Schaab and her family went into the locker room, Ovechkin appeared. Dressed in a suit and carrying roses, he handed the girl three tickets to the game, and afterward, they headed to the owner’s lounge for a sushi dinner. Romantic, right?
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Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com