Each year the New Jersey Devils take to the ice for a good cause.

Hockey Fights Cancer Night is an annual event in collaboration with RWJ Barnabas Health.

The event is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the strength and bravery of cancer patients and their families while underscoring the importance of advancing cancer research, prevention and care.

This year, the Devils will host a 12 year old from East Brunswick who is fighting lymphoma.

Ted Goldberg was there as the superfan got a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a member of the team under an official one day contract.

Right there he is, one.

On Wednesday, Theo Koshenkov wasn't a cancer patient.

He was a New Jersey devil with his own locker and Jersey.

It's cool.

And it's signed.

Wow.

Yeah, that was fun.

It's like a hockey fans dream come true.

As part of the NHL, hockey fights Cancer Initiative.

Theo joined the Devils for their morning skate this week and met some of his favorite players.

It was a lot of fun.

It was great to meet the guys and to just and also meet Morten Rader, arguably the greatest goalie of all time.

Theo did more than just meet Marty.

How are you?

Hi, Marty.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

Arguably the greatest goalie of all time offered Theo a one day contract to join the team.

When you see a young kid like that going through, you know, phases of his life, that that's going to be a battle.

And.

And you see that.

You just look in his face and how happy he was.

And, you know, for us, you know, like it's something that's really important to be able to give back in a moment and be like that.

Today is just kind of exceeded all all expectations.

It's been very, very cool.

Theo got to bring his entourage, including his loving family, and they all got to experience the sights and sounds of a hockey practice.

They're like so much faster than I thought they were going to be.

He keeps telling me the puck goes 90 miles an hour, but you don't really feel it on the screen at home.

I like tell it like that.

You could hit one of those all quiet in here, like you could hear the all the like just the sounds more and you can, like see all the goals up close.

It's incredible that it's not just for Theo.

It's the entire family is able to come together, were able to bring his doctors, nurses, his his care team together to really celebrate his journey.

Theo enjoyed meeting all of the devils, and in particular.

Jack uses them.

He was the funnest to meet.

And also it's cool meeting one of the greater players in the league.

The NHL says hockey fights cancer has raised more than $36 million since it began in 1998.

RW Jay Barnabas says it's been a big help for cancer research.

We're raising really important money through hockey fights, cancer that's going back to programs and services that people are going to see and benefit for for a really long time.

When you see what you know, like a professional franchise could could bring in, see the lifestyle and see how much, much stuff we do here.

You know, with you brings back a lot of great memories that he could remember for the rest of rest of his life.

And it's just not also just Theo.

I think it's his family that are going through the same thing also.

It's hard to be in the unit and seeing the kids and their families.

So I think it's fantastic.

The more money we can get into the research and into the labs and into are the folks really trying to make a dent and learning about different treatments and, you know, all of that.

And about that autographed jersey.

Theo says he has no plans on framing it.

I'm just going to wear it until I grow out of it.

Yeah.

And go to other kids school.

And incredible souvenir from an exciting day.

He's usually very cool and collected, but today I saw that breakdown of the pre-teen thing broke down a little bit today because it was very cool to meet his heroes.

Theo will be part of the ceremonial puck drop before Saturday's game and he'll ride the Zamboni during one of the intermissions, capping a whirlwind week for Theo and his family in Newark.

I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.