Pittsburgh Penguins' Phil Kessel makes little girl's day with signed stick

Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A little girl was brought to tears Monday at the Pittsburgh Penguins game after receiving a signed stick from Phil Kessel.

The girl was sitting near the Penguins' bench. Pittsburgh and the Colorado Avalanche were partaking in warmups before their contest at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

After skating around, the Pens winger noticed a cardboard sign against the glass near the fans. The sign read: "Kessel #1 Fan. All I want for Christmas is signed stick and picture."

Kessel motioned over to a member of the Penguins' staff and gave him a signed stick. The staffer pushed it around the glass, giving it to the little girl. She pulled it over into the stands and put her hands up on the glass, in admiration of her favorite player. She also started to tear up as her family took pictures.

The little girl was sporting a Kessel jersey.

Kessel, 30, is in his 12th NHL season. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has played in 82 games in six of his last seven seasons and currently leads the league with 35 games played. Kessel was the 2006 Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy winner and is a three-time All-Star.

The Avalanche beat the Penguins 4-2 in Monday's contest.