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Once the singing was over, all the players made the rounds, talking and taking selfies with the children.

“It’s wonderful,” said Dan Benoit, whose six-year-old daughter, Rosalie Barton-Benoit, is a CHEO patient. “She’s not even a hockey fan, but she’s just over the moon to see all these guys and to take pictures. She’s got a bunch of autographs and hockey cards from them. She’s ecstatic.”

Photo by Wayne Cuddington / Postmedia

Benoit’s personal favourite, Ryan Dzingel, stopped to chat with Rosalie for a few minutes.

Tkachuk, fast becoming a Senators fan favourite for his robust style on the ice, says the visit “makes me appreciate the little things” more.

“These kids are tough and it’s a great experience for us,” he said. “I came here earlier this year and it was great to see some of them again.”

Defenceman Dylan DeMelo, who was traded to the Senators last summer in the deal for former captain Erik Karlsson, says he participated in similar events while with the San Jose Sharks. Never before, however, has he been part of an entire team visit to a children’s hospital.

Photo by Wayne Cuddington / Postmedia

“It’s very rewarding to be able to sign a few autographs for the kids, and I think the parents — you can tell by the smiles on their faces — that it means a lot,” DeMelo said. “They’re struggling, obviously, at times, and they’ve kind of been dealt a bad hand. So, to be able to brighten their day and maybe take their minds off things for a little bit goes a long way.”

Goaltender Craig Anderson spent much of the 2016-17 season with his wife, Nicholle, as she went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments in her battle with a rare throat cancer. Accordingly, he says the visits to CHEO will always “hold a special place in my spot” because of the age of his own children.

“It’s a difficult time of life for a lot of people,” Anderson said.

“Just having them see us and be here, that’s the most important thing. My family has been in and out of hospitals and you see what kind of stress it puts on families. We’ve already seen the smiles on a lot of these kids’ faces and it’s making a big difference.”

kwarren@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/Citizenkwarren

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