Zach Werenski was named the winner of the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL in 2025-26 on June 2, but his biggest personal accomplishment of the offseason was likely a month earlier.
On May 6, his wife, Odette, gave birth to their first child, a son named Hudson.
Werenski has been living a bit of a charmed life over the last 16 months – he represented his country three times in international play, winning gold medals at the World Championships and the Olympic Games; he’s put together two of the best seasons in Blue Jackets history, culminating in the Norris honor; and he and Odette got married last summer.
But as any parent will tell you, nothing compares to the birth of a child, and on this Father’s Day, Werenski gets to experience the holiday for the first time as a dad. As he has been going through his summer workouts in Detroit, Werenski also reflected on his new role as a dad when he won the Norris Trophy.
“It’s been awesome,” Werenski said. “It’s definitely a surreal feeling just coming home from the gym or skating and whatever, just hanging out with my son all day. Obviously he pretty much sleeps and eats, but just being around him, it’s life changing, and for the better.”
Werenski said he’s been lucky thus far when it comes to sleep, as Hudson has been able to make it through six hours most nights. When the little one is awake, he’s slowly becoming acclimated to the world, spending more and more time observing his surroundings and interacting with family members.
“Those first few days and weeks, he’s pretty much eyes closed, sleeping for the majority of it,” Werenski said. “He had his eyes open maybe 10, 15, 20 minutes at a time, where now there’s certain stretches of maybe an hour, two hours, looking around, trying to figure you out, starting to grab your hand more or your finger. Stuff like that is really cool to see.
“He’s obviously filled out a lot more. The last month he’s put on some weight. Just seeing the whole change of it all is really cool. It’s the first time for us. Just trying to enjoy those little moments. Everyone says it goes quick, and it really does.”
Werenski just finished his 10th season in the NHL, and it was his best based on the Norris voting. He’ll turn 29 next month, still firmly in his prime as a player, and Hudson has given him even more reason to keep putting in work to be the best in the game.
“It makes you even more motivated,” Werenski said. “I want to play for a long time, and I want to show him all these things. I want to be a better hockey player and a better person for my family. It’s definitely more motivation to add to what I already have.”
Hockey's Family Ties
It’s becoming clear the goalie gene might run in the Merzlikins family.
Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins has introduced his oldest son, Knox, to the game of hockey, and the 4-year-old is spending a lot of his time trying to emulate his father.
The only problem? In the CBJ Learn to Play classes that Knox is in at this point, playing goalie is not an option.
“Every time we went to play a game, he goes in the net and he goes on his knees and he tries to save the puck,” Merzlikins said. “He’s really into it. Even at home, he wants to be all the time a goalie. It’s not that I am pushing him toward that. I don’t know, he really wants to try to be a goalie. Personally, I brought him out, I shot pucks at him, and he likes the feeling. That scares me because that’s exactly the same feeling what I had.”
It’s not that Merzlikins doesn’t want his son to put on the pads as his hockey journey continues; it’s just that as a dad, there’s the natural instinct of it’s a lot better being the one shooting the pucks than being hit by them.
But goalies are goalies, and it sounds like Knox may very well end up being just like his father. Or maybe he’ll end up going a different direction, which also would be fine with Merzlikins.
He’s one of three CBJ players during the 2025-26 season who had sons enrolled in the Learn to Play classes, which provide kids aged 4-10 ice time, skating lessons and instruction as well as a full set of gear to get them started on the ice.
For those dads, it’s not a means to an end; if their kids don’t make it to the NHL, that’s perfectly fine. At this point, it’s more about seeing their kids enjoy the sport they love and have grown up around.
“If my son wants to play hockey, I want him to reach the NHL, but first and foremost I want him to have fun,” said Mathieu Olivier, whose 4-year-old son Tristan has taken to the game. “It has to come from him.”
Olivier grew up in a similar situation, as the Quebec native was born in Mississippi when his father, Simon, was playing minor league hockey. Simon went on to a long pro career and still coaches, but he never pushed Mathieu, who instead chased the dream after growing up in pro locker rooms.
“I’m fortunate enough to be on the other side of the coin where I was a young kid just wanting to play hockey,” Mathieu said. “With my dad playing hockey as a pro and then coaching, it was always, I never felt any pressure. It was something I wanted to do, and I'm being the same way with my son. I’m in a great position to help you out, but it’s all about whatever you want to do and the love of the game.”
Erik Gudbranson’s 5-year-old son Bennett was the other CBJ kid to take part in Learn to Play this season, and Gudbranson spoke highly of how much fun he had watching his son learn the game. On the other hand, though, the negative was the realization Bennett may already be basing his style of play on the rugged CBJ defenseman and NHL veteran.
“He slashed me on the ankle so hard yesterday playing ministicks,” Gudbranson said in February. “It’s starting to come. He tried to hide it, too, which is very much like me.”
Garland’s Son May Follow, Too
Conor Garland always wanted to be a hockey player.
His father, Garry, played in college, and Conor quickly took to the game when he was born. Garry wanted to do whatever he could to help his son play the game, so when Conor was 5, his father built a backyard rink at their Massachusetts home.
Conor isn’t quite at that point yet, as his son Quintin doesn’t turn 2 until November. But it sounds like one of the newest members of the Blue Jackets may have a burgeoning hockey player on his hands already.
“From a young age, I loved the game,” Garland said when he was acquired in March. “I love it to this day. There’s nothing like it. I got my boy, he’s like 15 months. He’s the same way already. He walks around all day with a hockey stick and a ball, so he’s brainwashed.”
