Hitting is so synonymous with the game of hockey that even five year olds understand its significance.

“Christian, what do you say after you hit a guy and he falls to the ice?” Abel Moreno asks his son.

“How do you like them apples?” Christian yells with a big smile.
Not all questions are equally easy to answer, especially for such a youngster. The typical 5-year-old would probably have a hard time answering the question: What is your favorite part about the game of hockey? Not necessarily because they don’t know, but they’re just five and interviewing isn’t necessarily on the priorities list.

When Christian Moreno was asked that question, it was in fact hard for him to answer. He would intently think about the question and shrug. It later became apparent that Christian couldn’t answer right away because there were just too many things about the game he loved so much, to just name one.  

Even so young, he’s a wealth of hockey knowledge. Whether it be about the game itself, recognizing NHL stars, or his favorite team (the Anaheim Ducks), Christian knows his hockey.

“I don’t necessarily know where he gets it from,” says Abel, who is the off-ice head official at the Broomfield Event Center. “His brothers can’t sit through a full game but Christian will sit there and soak it all in.”

That might actually be the only time Christian sits still. He’s a ball of energy, great energy, and most of it focuses around hockey.

Ice hockey, bubble hockey (which he has in his room), mini-hockey (which he plays on the kitchen floor), or card hockey (he lines playing cards on the floor and uses them to pass and shoot a make-shift puck) are just a few of the ways Christian actively pursues the game.

“I’d consider ourselves a pretty big hockey family,” explains Abel. “To tell you the truth, Christians burns us all out on hockey. He has such a passion and interest in the game sometimes we have to be like, ‘Hey, no more hockey’.”
It’s understandable why Christian finds different ways to keep the game so fresh. A little over a month ago he was diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma, a form of cancer that affects the liver. Since then Christian hasn’t been able to get out on the ice and it’s uncertain when he’ll be able to return.

However, the importance of Christian’s story is hockey. He knows that he is sick but doesn’t know much else.

That’s where the whole fighting thing comes back into play. Christian was born with a condition known as transposition of the arteries (which means they are essentially backwards). It was then a no-brainer for his parents when deciding on a middle name. Parker, as in notorious tough guy and Avalanche Scott Parker, was the choice. Christian would be a fighter.
 He has been and will continue to be.

Christian doesn’t have much to complain about. He doesn’t mention the long and sometimes often doctors visits. Rather the only thing he says is, “I hate to get poked.”

Simple as that, and without any hesitations it’s off to the races, back to his game of mini hockey on the kitchen floor with his brother Marcus.

It’s probably better this way, after all Christian is five and has the zest and bounce in his step unrivaled by most.
Joey Carroll, a 20-year-old former Colorado Outlaw, remembers meeting Christian for the first time.

“Me and a teammate were just shooting on the net one day after practice. All of a sudden we just hear yelling and pounding on the glass. We look over and it’s this little guy just cheering us on. We we’re literally just shooting but every time the puck went in the net, he got louder and louder. It was awesome.”

Carroll can’t help but talk about Christian’s big heart, even bigger smile and outrageous love for the game.
“I went to watch him play and he plays the game as it should be,” says Carroll. “More than anything he doesn’t take anything for granted, including hockey.”

About an hour after asking what his favorite thing about hockey was, it seemed like a lost cause.

Sitting in Christian’s room watching his favorite movie, Just Like Me, a profile of NHL legends and the new crop of NHL stars, it comes to him.

“That’s it, that’s my favorite,” he says as he watches Sidney Crosby net a goal and throw his hands into the air. “I love that,” and throws his own hands up. Should’ve figured, the celebration, something Christian does every day.

How do you like them apples?  

To learn more about Christian, to donate to his cause or just to send him your wishes please check out http://christianmoreno.org/index.html.