FEATURE: Legends Cup provides unforgettable father-son memories

"I was hoping he'd score so I wouldn't have to go and embarrass myself."
Charles Pritscher was the proud hockey dad on Sunday afternoon, watching from the bench at MB Ice Arena as his son Jake lined up for what could be the winning shootout goal of the 2019 Legends Cup consolation game.
Charles held his phone up, recording the moment while his son Jake gave himself a pep talk.

"Day one, I thought it was a dream," said Jake. "Now, [at the end], I tell everyone it's like heaven."
A couple of weeks ago, Charles saw the event on blackhawks.com and thought it would be a great experience. He already knew Blackhawks legend Denis Savard from years ago and Savard had told Pritscher about Wayne Gretzky's camp in Las Vegas.
"That sounds cool but it's always hard to get into and in Vegas it's a whole trip. When I saw the Blackhawks were going to do one I decided to give it a try," Pritscher said.
He called a few buddies he plays hockey with but they declined.

"Then I realized, why am I doing this? I have two sons, a 27 year-old and 25 year-old."
Charles and his elder son are avid hunters and spend a lot of time together outdoors. Jake, however, has bonded with his father over their love of sports and - in particular - hockey.
"[Jake] played college lacrosse and used to play hockey," Charles said. "I was his coach all throughout so we've skated before. I asked if he'd want to try it and he said he couldn't get out of work. I sent him the website and the link and he looked at the description and said, 'oh my God, I'll get out of work!'"
The majority of participants in this year's Legends Cup were over the age of 50, making the alumni in attendance the perfect pairing to that generation. The young Pritscher was very eager to meet his father's hockey idols - even if he had to research some of the names first on his smartphone.
Over the course of the weekend, the Pritschers practiced with, ate with, drank with, chatted with and even sang songs with the Blackhawks alumni and their fellow participants.
"It was unbelievable, starting with just being around the Blackhawks and legends and having guys I grew up watching on my team," said Charles.
Blackhawks alumni Grant Mulvey was the center for the Pritschers and even came up with a nickname for his new linemates.
"Grant would call us the Pritzkers. Our last name is Pritscher, but he'd call us the Governors for Governor J.B. Prtizker. [On the ice] he'd yell, 'come on, Governor!'"

While Charles claims his hands were lacking out on the ice, Jake was awed at how the professionals adapted quickly to their linemates.
"They pick up on you so quick too, any pro you're playing with," said Jake. "One shift in and then they knew where you were going to be before I knew where I was going to be."
Charles said a major difference between the Legends Cup and other fantasy camps is how everyone stays together the entire weekend. From riding the bus together to the various events or the rink to eating every meal as a group. He expected the alumni to come and go and stick around for a short time during the meet-and-greets and dinner events. However, everyone who signed up and the former players stayed together, bonding, swapping stories and making memories.
"I didn't realize they would be with us every step of the way," said Charles, glowing with excitement.
"You're living as a Hawk with the Hawks," Jake added.
All the little stories they were told, all the conversations they had and all the on-ice moments they shared shaped an amazing weekend for the father and son.
"It's beyond what you'd think," said Charles. "They write it up and tell you what you get or [what you'll do], but it's beyond that. You can't describe enough what it's like with the interactions with all the guys."
But the greatest moment for Charles was the one that put a cap on it all.
It was "watching Jake score the winning goal," he said with a smile.
And Jake won't stop smiling either after the weekend with Dad and the Blackhawks at the Legends Cup.
"I'll be smiling for probably another year and a half just talking about it."