Seven-year-old signs one-day contract with New York Rangers

THE New York Rangers made history this week in the most unusual of circumstances.

The club signed their first ever female player to a one-day contract — seven-year-old Kayleigh Petersen.

The signing comes during the “Garden of Dreams Week”, a special round at Madison Square Garden in the NHL or NBA, in which children from the Garden of Dreams and partner charities are able to experience either the New York Rangers or Knicks up close and personal.

Kayleigh, an avid Rangers fan, was diagnosed with a serious condition affecting the liver and kidneys when she was just 18 months old, and required a full liver transplant in 2009.

Now heavily involved in her local hockey league, Kayleigh fell in love with the sport and dutifully supports the New York side. It had been her dream that she spend a day with the team.

On Thursday night (Friday AEDT), with the help of the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the MSG Garden of Dreams Foundation, that dream was realised.

The Rangers posted a series of images to their Twitter account after announcing the official singing of the “free agent”.

As part of the agreement, Kayleigh skated a lap around the ice at Madison Square Garden, and sat on the bench during the team’s warm-up ahead of their game against the Colorado Avalanche. The youngster also accompanied her teammates out onto the ice to sing the national anthem.

The Rangers even made an official player profile for Kayleigh on their website, listing her as a forward and assigning her the No.23 jersey.

“Petersen becomes the first female in franchise history to sign a one-day contract with the team. Petersen, 8, has been scouted during her House Mite League games this season, and the Rangers felt it was the appropriate time to offer a contract.

“‘She has tremendous skills and we felt her strength and character are through the roof,’ said Adam Graves, Rangers Hockey Operations Department. ‘We are proud and honoured to have her as a part of the Rangers organization.’,” the Rangers website reads.

“Her speed, skill and courage have impressed Rangers talent evaluators in her various Intro to Hockey lessons over the last two seasons, as well as at her most recent stint at Full Day Hockey Camp.”

Bravo New York Rangers, bravo.


News.com.au