Wild cheers greeted Red Wings great Nicklas Lidstrom on Wednesday afternoon when he stepped forward to share tips on exercise and nutrition with students at Field Elementary School in Canton.

Lidstrom, introduced by Red Wings radio play-by-play announcer Ken Kal, talked about the importance of nutrition and exercise before sharing hockey tips and practicing with groups of youngsters.

"I started playing hockey when I was 7-years-old. Ice hockey, that is," Lidstrom said. He started playing field hockey when he was "3 or 4."

Lidstrom said he practiced his hockey skills a lot as a child, after his homework was done.

"I'm still having fun. I'm a young 40-year-old who still loves to play hockey," he said. "It's good to stay active, whether you're in here, playing floor hockey, or on the playground, playing soccer or tag or whatever ... Staying active is very important."

Wednesday's event is part of a Detroit Red Wings Foundation program which started last fall and includes 20 schools, said foundation director Ann Hayes. The foundation donates floor hockey equipment to each school, but only five schools are chosen for player visits.

Having a celebrity endorse exercise and eating well is a good idea, said Chris Helms, on the board of Field Elementary’s parent-teacher organization.

“Maybe he’s someone they’re going to listen to,” she said. “He’s a good role model.”

Her daughter, Danielle Helms, 10, said she was more interested in learning how Lidstrom managed a backhand shot, but asked what she learned from his talk, she said, “Mostly about eating granola bars, protein bars and fruit like bananas and oranges.”

Lidstrom did share hockey tips with the students, coaching some as they swung hockey sticks at orange foam balls.

Art teacher Kevin Clarke helped supervise the students as they practiced.

“I root for the Wings,” he said, then grinned, adding, “If I had the money, I’d go their games.”

He wasn't the only adult pleased about the appearance.

Just a few weeks into her job, student teacher Emily Engle, of Plymouth, said the visit "is the most exciting thing to happen so far.”

Helms, the mother of four, three of whom are students at the school, clutched a red T-shirt bearing a Red Wing’s logo, Lidstrom’s name and his jersey number, 5. The shirt belongs to Helms’ son Bob, 7, and she’d hoped to get Lidstrom to autograph it.

Helms said plans for Wednesday's assembly were started when the Red Wings Foundation contacted the school after a similar event last year featuring the Detroit Pistons.

By the end of the afternoon, Helms headed out the door with her son’s T-shirt, unsigned, which hasn't affected her feelings about the team.

“It would have been nice, but, whatever,” she said, shrugging.

Part-time kindergarten teacher Kelli Regner of Canton was more fortunate. Her 2-year-old son slapped palms with Lidstrom and the hockey star signed a miniature hockey stick for the boy.

Former Canton resident Mike Healy watched all the commotion from a quieter corner of the gym. Healy, vice president of park operations for the Detroit Tigers and a volunteer member of the Red Wings Foundation board, said the main drive is to “get kids involved in sports.”

He said the Detroit Tigers have a similar program.

At the end of Wednesday's back-to-back sessions including about 500 children, Kal led the students in recording a promotional video for Red Wings TV. Kal also asked the students to "be good to your teachers and your parents."

The Red Wings Foundation is sponsoring a Try Hockey for Free clinic on Jan. 22 at Arctic Edge Ice Arena in Canton.

This week Field Elementary students will also get an invitation to buy discounted tickets to the Feb. 22 Red Wings game against San Jose.