Keelan Moxley with Brett Connolly (Courtesy: Moxley family)
WASHINGTON - From playoff beards to not touching the conference championship trophies: NHL teams and players are superstitious group.
So now that the NHL's Washington Capitals appear to have found a good luck charm during a run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they certainly aren't going to put that relationship on ice.
"Ted Leonsis told us: as as long as the Capitals are playing, we will be going to the games," Lauren Moxley explained. Ted Leonsis is the owner of the Capitals.
The reason Moxley and her family will be attending the remaining Capitals playoff games? Her six-year old daughter, Keelan.
By virtue of a video that's been viewed nearly 10 million times, Keelan is perhaps the Capitals' most-famous fan. Keelan became a viral sensation April 15th when she beamed with joy after Washington forward Brett Connolly, after several attempts, passed her a puck over the glass.
Keelan Moxley (Courtesy: Moxley family)
The Capitals lost that game to fall behind two-games-to-nothing in the best of seven series. However, after the video began to pick up steam - the team has not again. Washington has rattled-off three straight victories vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets and can clinch the first round playoff series with a victory Monday.
Part of that win streak? Saturday's game five at Capital One Arena - the team's first home game since Keelan and Connolly's moment.
Not only was Keelan in attendance at game five, she would make Elsa from Frozen jealous with the way she was treated like an ice queen.
She spent time with Leonsis in his suite, was featured on the jumbotron inside the arena and was able to meet Connolly after the game. During the visit, Brett presented Keelan with a signed stick and an ice skate autographed by multiple Capitals players - a prize she says she's keeping on a shelf in her playroom. But, that's not the only "trophy" on display in that spot. Keelan, a hockey player herself, has a real trophy from her own on-ice heroics.
So how does all this attention make Keelan feel?
Keelan Moxley with her autographed stick (Courtesy: Moxley family)
"I feel a lot different than I did before I was famous," Moxley explained during a FaceTime interview Monday evening.
How many times has she watched the viral video of her reaction to not receiving, then ultimately landing a puck from Connolly?
"Probably a thousand times," Keelan admitted. "My mind is saying 'I can't believe I'm famous."
"It's been overwhelming," Lauren admitted about the reception from the team and the ensuing flood of media requests. "We're not used to this stuff, but she's been having a lot of fun with it - so we're trying to make it as fun as we can for her."
UPDATE: The Capitals defeated the Blue Jackets 6-3 Monday for their fourth straight the victory. The win clinches the first round playoff series for Washington. The Caps face two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh in round two.
