Olympians aren’t just hatched, they are cultivated and developed with the hands of family and community lifting them up.
Moms driving to early morning practice, dads rushing home with sharpened skates before a midweek game, rink rats unlocking an arena door so a kid can get extra ice, volunteer coaches providing instruction. No one gets to the Olympics on their own.
So far, six players in the Golden Knights organization have been named to their country’s teams. Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin to Team USA, Mark Stone, Shea Theodore and Mitch Marner to Team Canada and Jonas Rondbjerg to Denmark.
In the coming days, it’s expected that Vegas may have more of their players heading to Milan.
The Golden Knights are on the road this weekend playing games in St. Louis, Chicago and Winnipeg with a large contingent of the players’ fathers along for the ride.
During the team’s practice in Chicago and following last week’s announcements of the rosters for Canada and the U.S., we were able to catch up with some of the dads on what it was like to learn their boys had been named Olympians.
ROB STONE
Lawless: What was that like for you when Mark called and said he'd made the Olympic team?
Stone: Unbelievable. I happened to be at his place when he got the call from (Canadian GM) Doug Armstrong. Unbelievable. I was sure hoping he would get on the team, but you never know in today's world, things change. I've been watching him since he was four-years-old. I know what he can and can't do. As much as he's not the greatest skater, he's good at everything else and he made it. He spent his whole life just practicing the game and understanding other parts of it.
Lawless: What would that be like for you to watch him play in the Olympics?
Stone: Well, I know what it was like when we were in Russia for the World Championships watching him, how he shut down Sasha Barkov and Patrik Laine. That just proved to me that he can play both ends of the rink and do whatever he's asked to do, and that's what he's done and made a career out of it.
Lawless: This meant a lot to him.
Stone: Yeah, he really wanted to make this hockey club. I think the injury kind of made him a little bit nervous, and it should have, but the bottom line is he made sure he got back and played some games so that they knew he was still alive and kicking.
Lawless: He told me when I interviewed him about the possibility a little while ago, ‘I don't care where they put me, I'd rather be the 14th forward there than lying on a beach somewhere in the Bahamas.’ That tells you a lot about Mark.
Stone: Yeah, sure, he wants to play hockey, you know, he doesn't really care about all the other things.
Lawless: Can you imagine, hearing O Canada playing, watching someone put a gold medal around his neck?
Stone: You can envision it, you just have to hope that it's reality. I’m going to do everything I can to get there to see it.
CAM THEODORE
Lawless: What was it like for you when Shea told you he was named to Team Canada?
Theodore: It was absolutely crazy. You have a small idea what's going on because he did go to the camp, but you never think it's a sure thing because of the fact that he got hurt. At the end of the day, I was absolutely so thrilled. I just was over the moon.
Lawless: Where were you when you found out?
Theodore: I was at the practice rink. It's funny, I was sitting there and Shea came over, gave me a hug and said, “yeah, I got the call this morning.” We had a quite a little bit of a hug there because it's pretty special between dad and son. I’m so proud of him and how he is. I mean, he's literally the, the consummate athlete in terms of doing everything right and trying to get where he needs to be when he needs to be there. It's both of our dreams and it's really kind of the only thing that he hasn't made it yet, the Olympics. We got a Stanley Cup in six years from Vegas and he's got the World Juniors gold and a couple before that. The Ivan Hlinka tournament in the Russia U18s and he got a gold with U15s with the Canada Winter Games in Halifax with Team BC that we weren't even supposed to finish. So yeah, at the end of the day, I'm just so proud of him and how he carries himself. Oh, and I get to go. His wife can’t go with the young family so Shea says, ‘yeah, you're coming with me, dad.’ So, no prouder moment than that.
BOB EICHEL
Lawless: It's a while back now, it was in the summertime, but what was it like for you when you found out that Jack was going to play for Team USA in the Olympics?
Eichel: It was pretty special that he got called in the first six again. I don't know, I probably told you this in our past discussions. It's the only USA team he's never played on. He's played on the U15, 16, 17, 18, 19, World Championships. So, this is a big feather in his cap now. We’re very proud of him.
Lawless: I just talked to Rob Stone about it. The first time you put skates on your son, you don't think about someday a Stanley Cup, Team USA. And then, the Olympics is something even bigger is it not?
Eichel: We never even thought we were going to get drafted and then all this stuff has happened. So, it's been a great run, we're really proud of him. He works his tail off, so I think he deserves it, for all he's done.
Lawless: He does, for sure. What will it be like for you to watch him play for Team USA in the Olympics?
Eichel: It's going to be surreal, just like it was surreal for the Four Nations or anything else he's played for. I've been around people who say, ‘my kids want to be in the NHL,’ and you really don't think anything's going to happen. This is such a feather in his cap. He’s going to be great.
PAUL MARNER
Lawless: What's that like for you when Mitch lets you know he's going to play for Team Canada in the Olympics?
Marner: I was obviously honored and excited. Canada has such a great talent of players to pick from. To actually make it, you're so lucky and blessed. Most of these players that have gotten here have been pretty good players for a lot of their lives. So, you always have that dream. It was always like a dream that your boy could ever make it and how exciting it would be to watch him. Obviously, with the Olympics being cancelled a few times, you just never know if you'll get the opportunity again. So, we're very, very honored.
BOB HANIFIN
Lawless: What was it like when Noah told you he was going to the Olympics?
Hanifin: Relief. I was really excited. He got a call, what was it, Wednesday morning? I was on a flight then. So, he knew prior to the game on Wednesday, but he told me in the parking lot after the game. It was good, and he called his mom too. He said, ‘I got a call from Billy [Bill Guerin], and he said I made the team.’ It was good. There were so many possibilities of guys making a team. I just had to be prepared either way, but even him being in the process was still great. I'm really proud of him, being one of all the guys that are on the team.
Lawless: Can you imagine watching on TV or being in Italy and hearing the Star-Spangled Banner and someone putting a gold medal around his neck?
Hanifin: It would be unbelievable. It would be like watching the movie, Miracle. Like I was saying, I remember he was 10-years-old when that movie came out. I think that was one of his goals, ‘I want to live that.’ It's close to coming true, so, that would be exciting.
