Coronavirus

Coronavirus quarantine challenge: Junior Sharks' viral toilet paper video catches attention of pro Sharks players

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Junior Sharks' viral toilet paper video catches attention of pro Sharks players

San Jose Junior Sharks 14U AAA team created a toilet paper challenge video that was shared by the San Jose Sharks and NHL and Sharks stars Stefan Noesen and Kevin Labanc even joined in on the fun.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- The San Jose Junior Sharks youth 14U AAA hockey team had one game left in their season when the sports world came to a halt due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

"It's been really tough," San Jose Junior Sharks Forward Aiden Levee-Oshiro said. "I'm used to being at the rink 3 or 4 times a week while seeing these girls, being on the ice with them and staying active. It's been really hard not seeing them in person."

"We're used to seeing each other so much, we've grown so close over the past few months," San Jose Junior Sharks Forward Natalie Fu said. "Then suddenly, we don't even know when we're going to see each other again. It was heartbreaking."

The team wanted to figure out a way to send the season out on a proper note.

Enter the toilet paper challenge.

The social media sensation has gotten athletes across the country involved by tossing a toilet paper roll to their teammates while not actually being in the same location.

It was a way to create a lasting memory with the Junior Sharks one more time and it turned into a viral hit.

"I thought that it was a good thing to do with everyone over the break and since we're all at home, it was a good idea to keep our skills sharp," San Jose Junior Sharks Goalie Catherine Atchison said.

"Me and a few other girls, we live far away from San Jose," San Jose Junior Sharks Defenseman Kailey Favro said. "I live in Danville, another girl lives in Livermore, and Catherine, our goalie, lives in Kansas City. Even though we had a big location gap, we can still be connected."

Since being posted, the video has thousands of views on social media including shares by major outlets.

After the video was shared by the San Jose Sharks and the NHL twitter pages, a few San Jose stars wanted to join in on the fun.

Sharks stars Kevin Labanc and Stefan Noesen took to twitter to surprise the girls with videos attempting the challenge.

We got to share the moment when the team saw the tweets for the first time.

"It just really shows how a sport can really bring people together no matter what level or nationality," San Jose Junior Sharks Defenseman Kimberly Jung said. "It really brings people together."

"We're really, really fortunate in our hockey community here that the big Sharks are so supportive of the Jr. Sharks and youth hockey in the Bay Area," San Jose Junior Sharks Head Coach Jon Carpenter said. "What amazing memories for these girls growing up in the sport of hockey to be able to have such an experience."

A small gesture by two professional athletes turned into a lasting memory for these group of girls.

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