BLOG: Blackhawks Moms’ Trip Provides Bonding, New Experiences in Upcoming Road Trip 

After hosting the dads’ trip last season, the Chicago Blackhawks players and staff will now bring their moms on their upcoming two-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. 

For some players like Alex Vlasic, this will be a first-time experience to bring his mom, Tara, along on a team trip in his first season in a full-time roster spot. 

“It's a special moment,” Vlasic said. “It’s something you dream of growing up to be able to bring your family on road trips, so I'm sure she's excited and it'll be an interesting trip.”

This year is the first moms’ trip since the 2019-20 season. This weekend, the moms and mentors will enjoy some time in the Sunshine State to watch a day in their sons’ lives with a travel schedule and take part in some planned activities throughout the trip.

While the team switches off on the parents and mentors’ travel every season, Connor Murphy describes how every trip is a different experience between the parents. While the dads follow every practice, morning skate and the results at the end of a game, he notices that the moms provide a different energy that brings the team together.

“It's always nice, it’s different atmosphere than the dads’ trip because the moms don't seem to care what the wins or losses,” Murphy said. “They're they just are happy to be around and socialize. So, it adds a good spirit for everyone.”

Another player who will experience his first moms’ trip include Connor Bedard. While his parents have traveled to some of the opening road trips to watch their son play, this adds to a new experience for him and his mom, Melanie, to experience an actual NHL travel day.

“It'll be good, all of the guys are pretty excited for the trip so I'm excited to just spend time with her and have her on the trip kind of have her experience stuff we do,” Bedard said.

Throughout his coaching career, head coach Luke Richardson recounts these special moments as a way for the players to better understand each other and learn from the people that know them the best. From telling stories and taking part in different activities, this can bring a team closer together and understand others’ lifestyles. 

Not only is it a time to bring people closer together, but it also gives their loved ones a better understanding of what their sons’ day might be like during a road game between meetings, team meals and other moments that others don’t see. 

“I think it's good for them to kind of see the hustle of getting to a plane taking off, getting on a bus and going somewhere,” Richardson said. “The schedule is it's a lot and so it's great for the people in your world to understand what you what you do.”

Overall, it also allows the players to show an appreciation of everything that their moms or mentors have given them throughout the year and how their roles helped them reach the NHL. 

“Our moms are a big part of our careers and our lives,” Murphy said. “It's cool to have them around the day to day because they obviously don't get to see the behind the scenes of what we get to do every day.”