For forward Alex Laferriere, whose mom is also Karen, the bar for the trip was set high after his father got to experience the team’s dad’s trip last season.
Laferriere, who is now in his third NHL season with the Kings, said one of the highlights for him was hearing general manager Ken Holland speak at a group dinner Sunday night.
“You kind of realize when they talk to you about how special our life is,” Laferriere said. “Being able to share that with our moms who played such pivotal roles in our lives and getting us to this point, it’s unbelievable. I know they’ve had a lot of fun; it’s good to have them here.”
An added benefit, Laferriere said, is being able to focus on things outside of the rink and enjoy the time with everyone’s family.
“It takes your mind away from the hockey a little bit and just kind of lets you relax,” Laferriere added as he was preparing for Monday’s contest. “Having loved ones with you definitely gives you a little bit of a boost. You want to perform for them and make it a fun trip for them, so I think it’s a good reset for us.”
He also mentioned that in his case, his mom’s excitement may be altering some of his normal activities on the road in a way that the dad’s trip last season didn’t.
“My dad played hockey too, so he kind of knew the gameday routines and all that stuff,” Laferriere said. “It’s a little different with my mom; she’s a very active person, so she wants to do a lot of stuff all the time. But she’s found a good group of moms so far, and I think they’re having a good time.”
One mom among the group who gets to see her son more often than most is Sharon Moore. But Trevor, who is playing his seventh season with the Kings, close to where he grew up in Thousand Oaks, is also experiencing his first mom’s trip.
There aren’t many firsts left for Moore, who first debuted in the NHL during 2018-19 and has appeared in close to 450 games. The rarity of this type of trip has elevated the week’s meaning for him.
“She’s been really excited about this trip for a while now. I think just getting to come on the plane and see what we do every day is exciting,” Moore said. “And it’s exciting for us to share it with them because none of us would be here without them and all their sacrifices so it’s a really special trip.”
While he said that his mom is familiar with many of his teammates’ parents, seeing them when they come to LA for visits, this is the first time everyone has had the full experience to hang out and get to know each other better.
With many of the moms getting to Southern California ahead of the road trip, they got things off on the right foot, watching the team’s 6-0 win over Chicago together on Saturday night. Now, combined with another victory on Monday in Utah, there’s no arguing with the results the experience has produced, especially Head Coach Jim Hiller.
“I love seeing the moms,” Hiller remarked. “The dads get it pretty often, but the moms, for some of them, have never had a chance to experience this. It’s always such a proud moment for the players.”
The reset Laferriere mentioned that the trip has given the team may have come at the perfect time.
“It really is special,” Hiller added. The guys get out there and get after it, and now the moms have a chance to see them get on the plane and travel, get into the hotel late, the whole routine, so you get the good and the challenging parts of the trip.”
After the win in Salt Lake City, which also came on Drew Doughty’s birthday, Hiller said that the veteran defender’s mom, Connie, gave a nice speech in the team’s locker room.
The coach has had no problem crediting the family along for the ride as a reason for his team’s refocused play on the ice.
“We’ve got the mothers with us here, so we’re going to give them all the credit in the world.”
Now, after more bonding and family time during a day off together, everyone’s hoping the Kings can keep the momentum they’ve had on their side and cap off the two-game stretch away from LA with a third straight victory in Seattle on Wednesday night.
