Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock (left) with Thomas Piauley. (Courtesy Thomas Piauley)

Thomas Piauley isn't your typical hockey fanatic.

The 21-year-old moved to Saskatoon from Paris, France in June to intern for French theatre company, Troupe Du Jour. While hockey is far from the most popular sport in France, Piauley said he's always been very fascinated by the game. Despite never playing hockey himself, he started to become a serious fan after spending nine months in Finland.

"I guess maybe I caught the virus there," Piauley told Afternoon Edition host Craig Lederhouse. "I became a Detroit Red Wings fans specifically because I liked how the team plays. It's a team that plays not very physical hockey. It's more about finesse and skill and speed. That's a way to play hockey that I really enjoyed."

The trip of a lifetime

After settling down in Saskatoon, Piauley discovered he had three weeks of holidays. When the time came to use them, hockey came to his mind. So he planned an entire trip around the sport.

Thomas Piauley in front of Pavel Datsyuk's locker. (Thomas Piauley)

First, he went to Toronto. While there, Piauley received an email from a friend of a friend.

"(He) turns out to be a very good friend of Mr. Babcock," Piauley said. Of course, he was referring to was Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock, who is from Saskatoon.

Piauley already had tickets to three games in Detroit and ended up on the guest list.

Star-struck at The Joe

When Piauley arrived to the historic Joe Louis Arena, Babcock walked in and called his name.

"That was pretty awesome," he said. "He walked into the locker room, called my name, and then we talked for a minute. (Babcock was) asking me about my hockey trip, why I was doing this, and how I ended up in Saskatoon."

Piauley said he was a bit star-struck because, “For hockey fans, he’s a celebrity.”

Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg (right) with Thomas Piauley. (Courtesy Thomas Piauley)

While the super fan didn’t get to meet many players, he did get some time with Detroit and Sweden's biggest hockey star — captain Henrik Zetterberg.

One of the most unforgettable moments of all came after a Detroit practice. Piauley was sitting in the stands while Babcock jogged around the arena. When the head coach was done, he came up and invited the Parisian to lunch.

“That was even more surprising," he said. "I just thought I would see the practice and then go back to visiting Detroit.

"It was even more incredible."