SEATTLE — Coach Dave Hakstol has been keeping the details to a minimum leading up to game time, but he made an exception for newest Kraken goaltender Jackson Boboth, 9.
"He looked pretty good out there today. I wouldn't be shooting at his glove, I can tell you that," Hakstol said. "He's rock-solid there."
Jackson enjoyed the Kraken's first Make-A-Wish Foundation visit Tuesday and Wednesday. Jackson put his name to paper, signing a real — if nonbinding — contract in front of general manager Ron Francis and was listed on the preliminary game roster against the Vancouver Canucks under starter Martin Jones and backup Philipp Grubauer.
Listed at 4-foot-7, 65 pounds, he suited up in full goalie gear and sat on the bench with his siblings for warmups — fan-made signs pressed up against the glass — then stood with the starting lineup during the anthems. All smiles, all the way.
"We're just here to live in the moment, enjoy every second and to celebrate that Jackson's here, two years later," dad Everett said. "We're all here, all six of us as a family."
Everett and Carrie Boboth learned Jackson, then 7 years old, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia Nov. 12, 2020. He had a large mass that impacted his lung and fluid around his heart, according to a family fundraising site, and he started chemotherapy less than 24 hours after his initial diagnosis.
The family had to relocate from Sunnyside in Yakima County to Bothell for eight months during Jackson's treatment. The avid roller hockey player and generally athletic kid lost the use of his legs.
The family has now been home for about a year and a half and Jackson is in remission. He'll still receive treatment and then regular checkups for more than two years, his parents said, barring any unforeseen changes.
"He's in really good shape," Carrie said. "He hasn't had any surprises for a minute, and that is very welcome."
The baseball-loving family happened upon a Stanley Cup Final broadcast a few months before Jackson's diagnosis and their three boys — twins Jackson and Owen and Zeke, 7 — were hooked.
"It's been really neat to watch them grow in hockey together," Carrie said of the twins. "That's something both of them just sunk their teeth into during Jackson's recovery journey.
"This is our new leaf. It's hockey."
Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington, a nonprofit that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses, offered to work on Jackson's dream of skating with the Kraken. By the time the day came, he was able to enjoy every bit of it.
"He's gotten a lot more stable and gotten a lot of his energy back," Carrie said.
"A year ago it would have been a lot harder for him. He's a lot stronger now," Everett added.
The family opted to be surprised by some of the details. Just Jackson's second time skating on ice, ever, was with the Kraken on Tuesday at Kraken Community Iceplex. Asked how it was taking shots from NHL players, Jackson responded, "Horrifying."
The scariest shooter, actually, was twin brother Owen.
"Because he's not afraid to hurt me," Jackson said.
Grubauer, Jackson's favorite player, was a near-constant presence during the rookie's NHL call-up. Grubauer helped him gear up at the Iceplex and appeared while Jackson and Owen shopped for new suits at Nordstrom with Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy.
Kraken All-Star Matty Beniers entertained the Boboth siblings with cookies at the practice facility and joined them for dinner and games at Dave & Buster's after suit shopping. For about two hours, Beniers, 20, and Jackson teamed up "to get as many tickets as possible."
Jackson paired his new suit with some bright white sneakers. Grubauer insisted on driving him to the rink for the game against the Canucks in his Porsche, according to the team.
"I finally got to sit in the front seat," Jackson said.
Jackson pointed to skating with the Kraken goalie as his favorite part of the experience. One of Jackson's favorite Christmas presents was a Grubauer figurine.
"And then he rode in Grubauer's car today. This is crazy town," Carrie said. "For him to actually get to know Grubauer, not just to skate with him but spend time with him — he's never going to forget."
