Family Reunion

The buddy talk started even before the official start of a league-sanctioned Zoom video conference among three former teammates.
In this Zoom screen square, up top left, is 40-year-old veteran forward Patrick Marleau, currently attached to the Pittsburgh Penguins but two-decades long a San Jose Shark and, for two recent seasons, a Toronto Maple Leaf who played with the young stars completing this Zoom call: Auston Matthews (upper right) and Mitch Marner (lower screen).

"This is where you do all the talking," said Marleau said to his early-20 something friends and former teammates. Matthews and Marner said oh, no, you too.
"That beard is coming in thick," quipped Marner, remarking on Marleau heavy facial hair. Matthews quickly took his shot, asking if Marleau planned to use a certain men's hair coloring product.
That's when NHL Senior Vice President of Communication John Dellapina jumped in to introduce the players and note why this call was going to be a fun addition to the NHL Pause Binge online program of classic games, historic highlights and player interviews. Dellapina explained this Zoom chat involved three former teammates, yes, but was "also a family reunion." Hockey fans know Marleau took both of young and high-scoring teammates under his guidance during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons in Toronto.
"Our whole team was excited [about Marleau signing in Toronto as a free agent]," said Marner. "He's the kind of guy who does everything our team needed. When Patty speaks, his teammates listen."
Matthews recalled that Marleau was quiet maybe for the first couple of weeks joining his first new NHL since breaking into the league with San Jose 19 seasons earlier: Marleau was "quiet" but clearly watching how his teammates interacted with each other and "you could see he was passionate about hockey."
Then the trio's relationship turned, well, more cozy. On the team's first road trip, Marleau stopped by Marner's and Matthews' hotel room. Matthews was still out, but when he returned:
"Patty was actually sitting on Mitch's bed talking," he said before sharing how the three teammates decided to watch Cars 3. "It started a tradition to put in a movie and order dessert on road trips."
"What I remember is stopping by their room," said Marleau, "jumping on the bed and saying, 'Let's do something!' Who was the kid in that case?"
The movie nights expanded to a family affair when the young stars visited the Marleau household for dinner and holidays, getting a home-cooked meal and a lot of mini-sticks hockey games with Marleau's four sons. Marner mentioned that after the first visit and spiriting mini-sticks game, he and "Matts" always prepared for the sweaty session by "brings shorts and a t-shirt, a change of clothes." Matthews or "Matts" said the mini-stick games "could get intense" and that at least one Apple Watch was broken during play.
"It that when the game ends?" asked Dellapina, joining the banter. "That's the final buzzer." Marleau answered: "No, that's just intermission."
Like any number of Zoom meetups during the recent slowdown of North American life, the Marleau sons all video-bombed their dad at various intervals during the half-hour laugh session. Son Jagger (one guess who is the namesake) was first to Dad's Zoom space but Landon, Brody and Caleb all soon followed. Matthews said hi to Jagger and complimented him on the San Jose Sharks t-shirt.For his part, Dellapina kept his professional interviewer's composure but at one point did invite Marleau's wife, Christina, to join in. Hey, you think on your feet, you get results.
"I'm not going to lie," said Marleau. "Home schooling has been tough on me." His young friends who lead a single life (one girlfiend confirmed for Marner) could only smile at that.
Dellapina asked the willing trio to play a version of the "Newlyweds" TV quiz show that Marleau "maybe watched on replay" and that Matthews and Marner "probably never heard of." Some of the fun facts viewers can learn on the replay: Matthews has binge-watched the "Love is Blind" series in which couples decide to get married without ever seeing each other face-to-face; Marleau always puts on his right skate first (or possibly maybe not); Marner prefers chocolate-cookie-dough ice cream and apparently Marleau was willing to shop and deliver it on road trips; Matthews is the most competitive player in the mini-stick, making no effort to look like he is taking it easy on the Marleau boys.
"I'm not sure if [Matthews] is best out there [during mini-sticks play], but he is the loudest," said Marleau. Matthews laughed it off, then got serious about his former teammate Marleau: "He is a backboard for me in life and hockey," said one of NHL's top-3 goal scorers. "Whenever I need something or ask a question, Patty is a close friend who will be honest with me."