A Swift Current hockey fan and his daughter were treated to an 'incredible act of generosity,' over the weekend, creating an unexpected experience they won't forget. 

Shawn Mullin did not expect to be sitting in the front row at Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final when he and his nine-year-old Audrey left for a last-minute trip to Edmonton on Friday night. 

Especially when their spontaneous father-daughter weekend took a sharp wrong turn on the drive to the big city. 

“We clipped a deer halfway up and lost our bumper ... I’m going, ‘Is this a sign I need to turn back around?’” The former voice of the Swift Current Broncos said. “But we were halfway up, and I already paid for the hotel. Something was telling me, just finish it, your kid really wanted to do this.” 

Upon arriving at their hotel, they found bedbugs in their room and had to be moved – another hurdle that Shawn was determined to jump over. While only getting a couple hours’ sleep, his sights were still set on making the trip the best he could for his daughter. 

The pair had a full Saturday of fun before heading downtown to get in line for the watch party.  

"Because Shania Twain was playing, the lines were exceedingly long so I'm starting to worry like, I don't even know if we're going to get into the watch party after coming all this way ... it’s like this trip was cursed,” he said. 

Security guards advised the duo that most people were lined up for the concert, so Shawn and Audrey left for dinner and to put more layers of clothes on, hoping things would die down.

As it turned out, everything lined up to place them in the right spot at the right moment. 

“When we came back, we're walking past The Sandman Hotel, talking about our plans and hoping that we'll get into the watch party, when we heard a voice from behind us saying, ‘Hey, do you guys have tickets?’” recalled Shawn. “Just standing there at the hotel outside, was Joe waiting for Joanne to come out and he said, 'We have extra tickets, you should come with us.’ 

“I don't know what it was about us. They were planning on giving their tickets to somebody – I don't know what caught his eye or connected with him in that moment, hearing Audrey and I walking by. [It was] just a genuine incredible act of generosity and kindness.” 

Not only did the tickets turn out to be front row seats at an exhilarating game in which the Oilers obliterated the Panthers, but Joe and Joanne went above and beyond to make the night something special for Shawn and Audrey.  

From making sure she had her photo taken with Superfan Magoo and the Oiler's mascot, to excitedly high fiving each other after every goal, the strangers’ efforts struck a chord and made an unforgettable experience.  

“I'm a huge hockey fan, but I think the biggest thing as a father is that my daughter got to experience that pure level of generosity and kindness,” Shawn said. “The example [that left] with her ... She’s already a very kind, generous genuine person, that’s not a new thing. But within the last couple of days now she's wanted to pay it forward.  

“When we were leaving the rink, we saw a family asking for help and she poked me and said, ‘Dad people were kind to us today, we should be kind to them.’ Kindness and generosity have a domino effect.”