GLENDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 16: Eight-year old Leighton Accardo, who is battling germ cell cancer, skates out on to the ice with Oliver Ekman-Larsson #23 of the Arizona Coyotes as she is announced as the First Star of the Game following a 3-0 victory against the Calgary Flames at Gila River Arena on November 16, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. Accardo signed an honorary one day player contract with the Coyotes earlier in the day as part of the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative.

Coyotes win for late cancer victim after Ekman-Larsson's guarantee

Josh Wegman
5 years ago
Norm Hall / National Hockey League / Getty

The Arizona Coyotes were playing with heavy hearts on Saturday night.

Prior to the game against the St. Louis Blues, Leighton Accardo, a nine-year-old who died in November after a long battle with cancer, was inducted into the Coyotes' ring of honor.

The honor has been exclusively reserved for former players, coaches, general managers, or broadcasters across the NHL. But Accardo will join the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick, Teppo Numminen, Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, and Bobby Hull inside Gila River Arena.

Accardo left a lasting impact on the entire Coyotes organization.

The Coyotes trailed the Blues 2-0 after 20 minutes, but captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson guaranteed the team would complete a comeback victory in honor of Accardo.

The Coyotes ended up scoring three unanswered goals to take the game 3-2. Ekman-Larsson picked up an assist while logging 19:24 of ice time in the contest.

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