Nate Smith And Nick Smith: Identical Twins Involved In $50,000 Hockey Shot Mix-Up (VIDEO)

Last Thursday night during a celebrity hockey game in Minnesota, 11-year-old Nick Smith was given the chance of a lifetime after purchasing a $10 raffle ticket.

All he had to do was sink the puck from center ice into a three-and-a-half-inch cutout and the $50,000 prize would be his. But when Nick's name was called, the boy was outside of the arena. So, Nick's identical twin brother, Nate, stepped up to the plate.

He shot. He scored. The crowd went wild.

However, instead of claiming the prize money, their father, Pat Smith, saw an important lesson to be learned. "The next day I called back and said, 'you know it was really Nate that made the shot,' and we thought honesty was the best policy and we want to set a good example for our kids," he told the "Early Show."

It is now up to the insurance company to decide if the kids will get the money.

Quick Poll

If you were the twins' father, would you have taken the money or confessed to teach a lesson on honesty?

Taken the money; honesty can come later.

Confessed to the mix-up to teach a lesson.

Share your vote on Facebook so your friends can take this poll

Comments

[Gio Taylor]

05:03 AM on 08/27/2011

The father's statement was BS. They came forward because they knew this would get out. two 11 yr olds couldn't keep this a secret.

if they wanted to set an example, they never would have put the kid up to it in the first place, much less, left the building without clarifying the situation.

if he wants to set an example, then he should not accept money acquired dishonestly.

[johngary66]

04:16 AM on 08/20/2011

The fundraiser was held at the Shattuck-St.Mary's Preparatory School in Faribault Mn. Marlon Brando, often considered the greatest actor of all time, was a student there.

[Ask me Later]

12:29 PM on 08/18/2011

In a way I agree with the father. The young boy should not have taken the shot for his brother, but the insurance could pay either half or a % because of him making that shot. If the kids have not learned honesty in 11 years....I would rethink my parenting skills lol.

[Superabound]

05:50 AM on 08/18/2011

johngary66, i hope youve never goofed off or played a single round of solitaire while at work, because if so you have literally stolen company time and are a thief. For the sake of your children, you should contact your employer and refund them the appropriate amount of money that you have dishonestly stolen from them. God, can you imagine if your kids ever found out about you victimizing and defrauding some poor multimillion dollar capitalist institution like that? Theyd probably grow up to be liars and criminals, or even worse, COMMUNISTS!

[johngary66]

08:40 AM on 08/18/2011

Keep trying Superabound, you have already made a pretty big fool of yourself, but go for the gold! You need to learn when to stop digging yourself into a deeper hole. By the way, I wouldn't mind having communist children as long as they were ethical and not Republicans.

[Superabound]

05:44 AM on 08/18/2011

Yes, honey, you do look fat in those jeans. Brb, gonna go tell the kids Santa Claus isnt real, and that no, theyll never see grandma and grampa or their pet dog again because God is a lie and heaven doesnt exist. (i always tell the truth, im such a great guy)

[AZLibDem]

03:46 PM on 08/18/2011

I never had any problem answering my wife honestly, and she never asked me a question she didn't want an honest answer to.

As to fantasy concepts such as heaven and Santa Claus, my child has always been encouraged to decide for herself.

Directly lying to a child, especially about the death of a loved one, is reprehensible.

[Superabound]

05:37 AM on 08/18/2011

As an honest liberal, i think its high time we stand up for these poor, poor insurance companies, who cant even make a profit due to all these hooligan 11 years old constantly defrauding them out of tens of thousands of dollars! RON PAUL 2012

[johngary66]

08:50 AM on 08/18/2011

Well now, that certainly explains a great deal. Good old Ron Paul whose name topped a White Supremacist Newsletter for twenty some years, but OMG he didn't write it. He didn't stop whoever did write it from using his name for twenty years either. Is he a total idiot, or is he a total liar? Hmmmn. I guess since he was for years a favorite speaker at John Birch Society meetings it must mean he's a liar. Then are are the very racist things he said in front of to many people to deny. Boy they don't come much more tin hat wing nuttier than Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul. You are a teabagger DUDE! Now that is way to funny!

[Coffee4Me]

02:51 AM on 08/18/2011

What's with all of the praise for the fathers honesty? If he was so honest, he would have never let his other kid take the shot in the first place. Instead, he slept on it, realized that he was responsible for allowing his children to commit fraud, and didn't want to deal with the repercussions of an angry insurance company. Nate made an amazing shot worth 50 grand, how long would he have to watch his brother get showered with attention for HIS shot before he spilled the beans? Lol. Dad is smart, not honest.

[Devil Theory]

08:50 PM on 08/17/2011

And BTW, why haven't you taught your kids about honesty yet? After 11 years, they apparently can shoot pretty well on an ice rink, but honesty... that was a lesson that you thought could wait?

They can gamble and play sports, but being honest just isn't that important...

[Devil Theory]

08:42 PM on 08/17/2011

Let's see: Be honest and the kids learn ONE lesson about honesty.

Or keep $50,000 send the kids to college and allow them to learn hundreds of lessons about actually important subjects! Tough choice.

I wouldn't give the kids the money. I'd teach the father a lesson about interfering in the lives of his children. And then I'd encourage the kids to file a lawsuit against their father for giving away something that didn't belong to him!

[Robert SF]

07:42 PM on 08/17/2011

The problem is there are so many other cases of far worse dishonesty not only not being punished but actualy being rewarded. After watching your 401k destroyed by people who then were handed billions and given direct access to the President, it's very, very easy to rationalize taking the $50k. It's not as if the change had been intentional, and it's not as if they knew one twin would win it but the other wouldn't.

[kjlintner]

07:16 PM on 08/17/2011

They're identical twins. Anyone who watches Law and Order: SVU knows identical twins are the same person. Duh...

[ivoteforsmartpeople]

05:21 PM on 08/17/2011

I am so sorry to see that almost HALF the people answering the survey would LIE - and STEAL that money! I don't know how the person to shoot was chosen - but this kid was NOT!

I worry for my country.

[scottt456]

10:17 PM on 08/20/2011

It's certainly just a little tooclose. But that's the path our country is going down. BTW, I was quite concerned about this republic before this story broke.

[maxfax]

04:55 PM on 08/17/2011

The child does not deserve the money, according to the rules.

[Nclghtning]

08:09 AM on 08/17/2011

Insurance company could re-stage the shot using the right twin. If he makes it, pay him. If he misses it, pay $5,000 to a college fund for each of the kids.

[maxfax]

04:56 PM on 08/17/2011

If he misses, he pays the insurance company $50,000.

[Alicia Sonshine Fort]

12:17 AM on 08/17/2011

he's a good one, honorable in fact . . . but when he starts thinking about college in a few years , he sure is gonna regret it. . .

[johngary66]

02:34 AM on 08/18/2011

Alicia, tell me why the kid should regret being honest. If he doesn't have the money for college when the time comes, he can still start stealing cars. He probably won't because of the lesson his father taught him.

[Alicia Sonshine Fort]

11:59 AM on 08/18/2011

no no no, you got it wrong. . . i was just joking, i do believe the father did the right thing. but all jokes a side at the rate college tuition is going, he will regret it in the future. . . .