Holiday Memories: Coyotes Reminisce About Gifts and Family

When it comes to making a holiday wish-list, as a youngster Coyotes forward Christian Fischer went for broke -- three or four years in a row.
He asked for a zip-line.
"I don't even know how a zip-line would have arrived," he said. "But for whatever reason, I wanted a zip-line as a kid. But that wasn't in Santa's factory, apparently."
The following weeks are a season highlighted by precious time with family and friends, and filled with the joy that comes from giving -- and receiving -- gifts. Some gifts, of course, are more memorable than others.

For Fischer, although sans zip-line, there is a gift that stands out.
"My favorite gift of all time, I had to have been 10 or 11 years old," Fischer recalled. "My parents … well, Santa, got me a little dirt bike. We had a lot of land when I was a kid in Chicago, where I could kind of whip around. I kind of lived out on the farm. (The bike) was called a PW50, a little blue dirt bike, and I ran that thing until it couldn't run anymore."
Fischer rode for hours each day. He believes his parents had second thoughts about the decision, however.
"I'm sure my parents deeply regretted that after the first day they gave it to me," he said. "I probably crashed it about 10 times. I probably drove the neighbors crazy with the sound of it. But that bike was by far the most memorable and most used Christmas gift I've ever received."
Derek Stepan's father owned a sporting goods store in Minnesota. He was "pretty lucky" in that regard, he said. So, brand-new hockey equipment for the holidays was a commonality for the Coyotes forward and alternate captain.
"I feel like each year there was a hockey stick somewhere around the Christmas tree for me," Stepan said. "I was able to get hockey equipment, and that's usually what I wanted. A pair of pants, new shoulder pads, a stick, gloves, whatever it was."

But Stepan recalls a year in which his parents truly caught him and his sister by surprise.
"We had finished doing all of the Christmas stuff, and my parents pointed to something else hanging in the tree," Stepan said. "They were cruise tickets. We did the Carnival Cruise line, and we got to go to the Bahamas or somewhere tropical. I forgot exactly where it was. But that was a cool one, that one stands out."
Of course, there were gifts that never came to be.
"One year - this is kind of a strange one - around fifth grade, I do really remember wanting cologne," Stepan said. "Thank goodness my mom and dad never ended up actually getting it. But for whatever reason, and looking back, I didn't care that I didn't get it, but I had put it on the list. That was probably one of the weirdest things I've asked for."
Jakob Chychrun's most memorable gift was a composite hockey stick. An Easton Synergy, to be exact.
"I was like literally the last kid I think on the face of the planet to still be using wooden sticks," Chychrun said. "My dad was huge on the wooden sticks. So, I know the first time he got me a composite stick was one of the best days of my life."
Another significant part of Chychrun's holiday memories is that his family celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas. Chychrun's mother is Jewish; his father is Catholic.
"We would always light the candles for each night of Hanukkah," Chychrun said. "I have a little menorah in my kitchen. So, we still kind of keep the tradition of doing both. My mom likes to light the candles, and we have the Christmas tree up in the house. It's just nice to get both sides of it and celebrate both."
Jason Demers' family also celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah. He emphasized the importance of being around those you love, stressing that was a gift in itself.

"Time with my family every year, that's fun, we always like to spend Christmas together. But this year is going to be a little tougher with everything going on, my family is in lockdown in Quebec.
"Your time is the best gift you can give anybody. So, I think somebody's time is the best gift you can receive."
Chychrun seconds that thought.
"I think the biggest thing for me honestly is, just every year of my life we would fly to Canada and spend it with my grandpa and all my cousins," Chychrun said. "Every year of my life, and even my dad's, even when he was still playing (in the NHL), every single year my dad would go home (to Ottawa) for Christmas. I haven't been back to Ottawa with our family for Christmas ever since I've been (in Arizona). Those are memories that I miss dearly."

During a normal hockey season -- and according to the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement -- players and staff receive three off-days to spend with families during the Christmas break.
This year, they may be afforded a little extra time.
"The best part about Christmas is just not really having any structure for a few days," Stepan said. "You just kind of relax. Normally we're playing, so I only get three days. But this year, we might get four days. Just enjoying time, relaxing, and not having anything to do, that's what I really enjoy."
Stepan and the rest of the Coyotes hope to begin training camp for the 2020-21 season shortly after the holidays. The season is targeted to begin Jan. 13.
Until then, Stepan, who is on record stating he still believes in Santa, will prep for the Big Man's arrival on Dec. 25.
"We bake some cookies and then we decorate them, and we leave out carrots for the reindeer," said Stepan, who has two young children. "The tricky part is, we've got a dog who loves carrots. So as mom and dad, we have to make sure we don't put the carrots out too soon."

Lead Photo Credit: Janelle Etzel - Arizona Coyotes // Second Photo Credit: Brad Stepan // Third Photo Credit: Janelle Etzel - Arizona Coyotes // Fourth Photo Credit: Jeff Chychrun // Footer Photo Credit: Janelle Etzel - Arizona Coyotes