An Okotoks couple received a memorable wedding gift from the Calgary Flames.
"I've been a Flames fan for 38 years now," said Stephen Wong. "I grew up with the Flames. My dad was a huge Flames fan. We all played hockey Friday nights. Hockey was huge in our family."
During Stephen and bride Shannon's recent wedding at D'Arcy Ranch Golf Club, his eyes were glued to a TV broadcast of the Flames game.
"It was a game night," said Shannon, "and Stephen and I had talked about it because he rarely misses a game. A lot of our family members and a couple of the bridesmaids and groomsmen were also fans, so he's like, 'Well, could we have the game on in the background?'
"So during dinner, they had the big TV and they had the game going with no volume, and you could always tell when the Flames scored because the head table would cheer. That was our wedding."
Shannon was happy to see Stephen in his element at their wedding.
"I wasn't a hockey fan to start with," she said, "but he's teaching me about hockey, so I'm starting to enjoy it as well.
"So it wasn't like, you know, the begrudging wife sitting there. I didn't watch the game so much during the wedding, but I did watch it with him on the honeymoon."
Besides watching the Flames game throughout the wedding, Stephen made sure that the couple's wedding cake also had a Blasty logo on it.
D'arcy Ranch Golf Club general manager Tim Watt mentioned Stephen's superfan status to his friend Bob Libin, son of Calgary Flames owner Alvin Libin.
To show their appreciation, the team gifted the couple a signed Matthew Coronato jersey.
Stephen was ecstatic about the gift, and he reminisced about his history with the team.
"We had hockey games at the Saddledome when I was a kid, all kinds of stuff. Harvey the Hound came out for the Christmas party, the Flames were all over the place when I was growing up for us.
"This means a lot, this is huge. That's pretty sweet."
Stephen and Shannon are happy to see the team show love to its fans.
