Wideman: 'It's one of the most fun weeks of the summer'

MONTREAL -- One of Chris Wideman's favorite offseason activities is hitting the ice at Wideman Brothers Hockey School.

Led by his younger brother, Alex, whose resume includes stints in the USHL, NCAA, ECHL, AHL and three European leagues, the five-day camp concludes on Friday at Brentwood Ice Rink in their hometown of St. Louis.
This marks the fifth summer that the Widemans have teamed up to educate youngsters ages 9 to 14 in the art of stick-handling, shooting, passing and puck protection with two hours of on-ice instruction each day.
The Canadiens defenseman, who signed a two-year contract extension on June 6, relishes the opportunity to help Alex out every summer.
"It's really special for me because he's so passionate about the game, he's so talented and technically sound, and watching the way that he interacts with the kids and how much they gravitate towards him, he's really the star of the show," praised Wideman. "It's special just to come and be able to support him and have fun with it. I have so much fun watching him and watching the kids. You can see the kids that come back year after year, how much better they get, and how excited they are to be with us. It's one of the most fun weeks of the summer."

The veteran blueliner says developmental experiences like these weren't readily available when he was still learning the fundamentals of the game, so he's proud to lend a hand and teach.
Ironically, Brentwood Ice Rink is where the Widemans learned how to skate and began playing.
"It's just a chance for my brother and I to give back to the community, get on the ice and work with the kids. Growing up in St. Louis, we didn't have a lot of opportunities for hockey camps. There wasn't a lot of stuff in town. Now, there are quite a few options in St. Louis, and it means a lot to us that we get the same people every summer," mentioned Wideman. "It's a cool memory to get back out there at that rink, too. It's not somewhere where we were typically able to skate once we turned pro."
Even though Wideman wasn't a hockey school regular, he still benefited from quality coaching and instruction that ultimately enabled him to make his NHL dreams come true.
That's why the St. Louis AAA Blues and Chaminade College Prep product is keen on sharing as much of his knowledge as possible with local youth in return.
"As a kid, I was super fortunate to have Basil McRae, Rob Ramage, Jeff Brown and Mike Zuke, all these ex-NHL players that coached us as minor hockey players. There were quite a few of us that moved on to play in the OHL or the NCAA, and even a few that played in the NHL from my age group," explained Wideman. "The St. Louis minor hockey scene has grown and developed lightyears since I was playing. We've just been fortunate to have great coaching. A lot of Blues alumni end up staying in St. Louis and get into the program."

Five AAA Blues alums were actually first-round picks in the 2016 NHL Draft, including Matthew Tkachuk, Clayton Keller, Logan Brown, Luke Kunin and Trent Frederic.
Wideman also noted that Pat Maroon of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators played youth hockey in St. Louis as well.
"You're starting to see a lot more guys from the area that play pro. It's really a special group and something I'm very proud to be a part of," said Wideman. "It's fun to be connected with the minor hockey community in St. Louis because I owe everything I have to it. The community provided me with everything I needed to grow and become an NHL player."
Now, if he can only finish the week with a few twigs left in his bag…
"The kids are hilarious. They want sticks and everything every day," joked Wideman. "I just said, 'If I give you all my sticks, what am I supposed to use?' We have fun with it."