It is an experience that fourteen-year-old Eddie Smith says he will remember forever! While driving a robot from his hospital room at Phoenix Children’s, Eddie went on a grand slam tour at Chase Field – home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. From joining a press conference to checking out the clubhouse to talking with his favorite players at batting practice, emotions were charged. When asked what it was like, Eddie expressed, “Surreal, awesome, a once in a lifetime thing!” The Child Life Zone team at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, along with the Diamondbacks organization, have been strategizing how to utilize OhmniLabs robots with the hope of brightening hospital stays for patients and families. Working together, they are implementing innovative ways to give patients opportunities to make inspiring connections that extend beyond the walls of their hospital rooms. Eddie’s grandma, Mary Smith, shared, “Eddie’s visit with Torey Lovullo (Manager), Pat O’Connell (Director of Player and Media Relations), along with several players like David Peralta, Pavin Smith, and Eduardo Escobar, will always be one of his greatest stories! He cried he was so happy. It made his life!”

Leighton Accardo, honorary Coyotes teammate, “Hockey Fights Cancer” ambassador and a skater with the Kachinas Girls’ Hockey Association, passed away, at age nine on November 24, 2020 from Stage Four cancer. Her life and spirit were honored on Saturday, April 17 at Gila River Arena prior to the game against the St. Louis Blues. She became the first individual who is not a former player, coach, general manager, or broadcaster, to be inducted into a team’s Ring of Honor in the entire National Hockey League. “Accardo” and Leighton’s hockey number, 49, is now permanently etched into the arena’s upper ring, joining Wayne Gretzky, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick, Teppo Numminen, Dale Hawerchuck, Thomas Steen and Bobby Hull. The hockey community first became familiar with Leighton when she signed a one-day contract in February 2019 to be the Coyotes ambassador for “Hockey Fights Cancer Night.” In addition to serving as pre-game locker-room speaker, she swapped roles with Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, taking the ceremonial face-off. “She is a part of the Coyotes, and she forever will be,” said Coyotes President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez, “her name in the Ring of Honor is incredibly special to this organization. She inspired us. She brought us together. She created hope. She brought joy.” The Coyotes have worn “LA49” decals on their helmets this season and wore special jerseys during pre-game warm-ups on Saturday, they are being auctioned off to benefit the Leighton Accardo Memorial Scholarship Fund for girls’ hockey in Arizona. The entire Accardo family attended the ceremony, siblings Larson, LeeAnne and Locke, and father, Jeremy (a Teammate since 2007), who took a leave from his duties as New York Mets assistant pitching coach. This courageous young girl was able to spend time at the Child Life Zone during her stays at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Coyotes Tribute Video

We would like to congratulate Jack Leiter (son of Teammate Al Leiter) for his amazing 7-0 start this spring. Leiter has a 0.55 ERA in his eight starts this season with 84 strikeouts and 19 walks in 49 innings. He has allowed just three earned runs and thirteen hits. The son of former Major League All-Star pitcher Al Leiter (a Teammate since 1999) is a favorite to go in the first few picks of the MLB draft in July. Jack had extended his no-hit streak to 20 innings and his scoreless run to 25 frames before both came to a halt in the fifth inning of Vanderbilt’s 11-2 victory over LSU on Friday, April 2. The 20-year-old sophomore has reached a point where expectations have crossed a remarkable line … if Jack gives up a lone run it becomes newsworthy. Congratulations to the Leiter family!