Arizona Coyotes to wear ‘LA49’ helmet decal honoring late fan
Jan 14, 2021, 5:30 PM | Updated: 10:42 pm
(Twitter Photo/@ArizonaCoyotes)
(Twitter Photo/@ArizonaCoyotes)
The Arizona Coyotes will honor the memory of late fan Leighton Accardo by wearing a decal that reads “LA49” on their helmets this season.
The badges will be placed on the lower left corner of players’ helmets.
Always with us. 💜
This season, we'll be wearing these LA49 helmet decals in memory of our teammate, Leighton Accardo.
Details: https://t.co/RouVjX8p95 pic.twitter.com/8ZPl2gyNm6
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) January 14, 2021
The Coyotes will also hang a jersey and helmet in the locker room with the name “Accardo” and No. 49 written on them.
Forever our teammate.
LA49.💜 #HockeyFightsCancer pic.twitter.com/Li6EUEKT8W
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) January 15, 2021
“Leighton was truly embraced by the Coyotes organization and we know that she would be so proud and beyond honored to see her initials and number on their helmets … she will be with them every time they take the ice,” Accardo’s mother, Carly Accardo, said in a Coyotes release.
“The Coyotes continue to prove to us that they will do everything they can to make sure that Leighton’s legacy lives on and this gesture is a testament to that.”
Accardo, who fought cancer and died at the age of 9 on Nov. 24, 2020, will be honored in other ways throughout the season. The team has created a scholarship fund in her honor.
Lyndsey Fry, the Coyotes’ director of external engagement and female hockey, will roller blade 96 miles across the Phoenix metro area on Saturday, Jan. 23, to raise money for the Leighton Accardo Scholarship Fund.
It was created to raise money for girls interested in playing hockey across the state.
Fans can visit ArizonaCoyotes.com/skatinforleighton to contribute toward the fund in Leighton Accardo’s honor.
