A young hockey player in Moncton is helping Becca Schofield’s legacy live on through her love of the game of hockey.

Nine-year-old Maggie Kelly, along with her three sisters, has been playing hockey for as long as she can remember.

“I play goalie,” said Maggie. “The very first year I played was for forward and then I saw that my dad’s friend played for goalie so, I wanted to try being goalie.”

Due to the cost of hockey gear and having four young active players in the home, Maggie’s mother often turns to a family friend to purchase the necessary equipment.

“We actually go and buy most of Maggie’s goalie equipment from him because he has a son that’s a year or two older than Maggie so, when he’s done with it, we go and get it,” said Kira Kelly, Maggie’s mother.

At Maggie’s last gear-grab, they had an unexpected surprise waiting for them.

“He said that he had something special for Maggie and had the goalie stick in his hand,” said Kira. “He asked her if she knew who Becca Schofield was and she replied ‘yes,’ and I didn’t even take it in at first what he had asked her.”

After Becca’s passing last year, her parents gave her ringette goalie stick to a friend’s son hoping to pass along Becca’s love for the game. Now that his son has outgrown the stick, they wanted to pass it forward to a deserving player.

“He said I could keep it and I had to take really good care of it,” said Maggie.

“She’s slept with the stick over her headboard for the last two weeks,” said Kira.

Becca’s father coached her ringette team and says he misses her every day.

“It’s been a year and four months, and two days, and she’s still making a lasting impression,” said Becca’s father, Darren Schofield. “It’s just the fact that it went to someone that deserved it and appreciated it.”

Becca passed away in February 2018 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. She was known around the world for her ‘Becca Told Me To’ campaign, which encouraged people to perform random acts of kindness.

Maggie’s mother says when she outgrows the special stick they plan to pass it on to another young player.

“Maggie has a huge heart and she’s always helping and always trying to do the right thing, and I wanted them to know that she got it,” said Kira. “And that it is someone special that got it, and when she’s done, we will definitely find someone special to pass it on to,”

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Eilish Bonang