Watch Minnesota Wild Charlie Coyle’s simple gift to a child: A wave

The perfect illustration of the big impact of a small gesture came when Minnesota forward Charlie Coyle turned and waved to a youngster behind the glass during the Wild’s pregame warm-ups on Sunday. The boy’s thrilled reaction was adorable.

What Coyle did shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has spent time around professional hockey players.

They are so gifted and graceful at interacting with their young fans.

Around the Los Angeles Kings’ practice facility in El Segundo, you often hear excited squeals from youngsters when they simply spot a player, much less get the chance to exchange hellos. It really never gets old.

By Friday morning, the video had nearly 216,000 views. Coyle told Minnesota reporters that he learned about the clip going viral when his mother called him.

“I didn’t do it to be a celebrity,” Coyle told Wild beat reporter Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I just thought it’d be cool for the kid.”

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