Snow family touched by Pelletier’s parting gesture after trade from Flames
Pelletier, like all Calgarians, admired the brave battle Chris put up as his body was slowly shut down by the fatal neuron disease. He pointed to Chris as an inspiration at times when his career stalled due to injury or other setbacks.
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CALGARY — As soon as Cohen Snow heard Jakob Pelletier was traded, he grabbed his phone to send an important message to Flames general manager Craig Conroy.
“He texted Craig right away and gave it to him,” chuckled Kelsie Snow of her 13-year-old son.
“All he wrote was, ‘Noooooo, Pelts!’
“I think Craig said, ‘Ya, your dad would be pissed at me.’”
As good a trade as it was for the Flames, landing two key pieces from the Flyers, Cohen wasn’t the only one in town saddened by the departure of the effervescent first-rounder everyone was cheering for.
However, Cohen’s connection to Pelletier runs much deeper than that of most fans.
Cohen’s father, Chris, was largely responsible for the Flames drafting Pelletier with the Flames’ first-round pick in 2019 when he was the team’s director of hockey analysis.
It started a close relationship between Pelletier, Snow and his family that endured through Chris’ four-year battle with ALS.
Chris passed away in September 2024 at age 42 due to complications from the disease, which only served to strengthen the bond between the personable Frenchman and Snow’s family.
So much so that Pelletier’s touching Instagram post saying goodbye to Calgary included a tribute to Chris.
“On this special day, my thoughts are with my forever friend, Chris Snow, who gave me the chance to represent the Flames,” he wrote.
His sentiments meant the world to Kelsie, but even more so to Cohen and 10-year-old Willa.
“For him to remember Chris in that way was very, very special for us, for sure,” she said, applauding the young man’s level of perspective, depth and compassion.
“Such a good kid. We feel very connected to him for so many reasons.
“When someone that you love dies, all you want is for people to remember what an impact they had on the world. And in the sport of hockey, where everything is constantly changing, and there’s turnover, and drafts, and new coaches, and new players, and front office types, a fear for our family is watching those really obvious imprints Chris had on the organization fade away.
“Jakob holds a big place in our hearts in that sense.”
Three days before the trade, Kelsie had touched base to congratulate Pelletier after Cohen ran down the stairs excitedly, telling his mom, “I have the best news — Pelts is in on the first line!”
“I texted him to tell him how happy we were to see him doing so well and that we’ve been rooting for him,” she said.
Her next text came after the trade, thanking him for the thoughtful Instagram message.
“It was a tough day in our house when he was traded — my daughter was sad, she had a couple tears, but to be able to send that Instagram post to Cohen during the day, and show it to Willa, eases the pain a little bit,” said Kelsie.
“He wrote back right away. He’s such a neat kid. He gets it on a different level.
“Jakob was so loved in the room by so many people, so he’ll definitely be missed.
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“Let’s remember, he hardly spoke any English when he was drafted, and so the fact that he made these impressions and the positive connections, it’s just so who he is now.
“He put in the work, and his English is great now. He’s just such an impressive young man.”
Pelletier, like all Calgarians, admired the brave battle Chris put up as his body was slowly shut down by the fatal neuron disease. He pointed to Chris as an inspiration at times when his career stalled due to injury or other setbacks.
“Of course he comes to mind, he’s why I was playing with the Flames,” said Pelletier, who is still awaiting his visa and immigration papers, with hopes of joining the Flyers in Utah on Tuesday.
“I’m so happy and grateful I had a chance to be close with Snowy, and he’s forever in my heart
“I’m also grateful for his family. I saw Cohen in warmup every game and I always said hi to him.
“The family is so important to me and I’m really happy to have met them.”
This weekend, the Northwest Warriors community hockey association the Snow family has been so involved in over the years will host its second annual Warriors for Snowy Strong outdoor rink day at the Parkdale Hub the Snows loved to skate at.
Not surprisingly, Pelletier and the Flames have donated an autographed jersey, amongst other things, to the auction, raising money for ALS research.
