Hamhuis Appreciative, Excited for Another Chance at Stanley Cup Run

When the 2019-20 NHL season was officially paused on March 12, there was still a cautious optimism at the time that the delay would be a short one.

But then the days began to turn into weeks, which turned into months, and what once seemed to be a foregone conclusion of an eventual end to the season suddenly appeared foggy at best.

Consequently, Dan Hamhuis began to wonder if his newfound position as a homeschool teacher was about to become permanent.

Like the rest of his teammates, the veteran Predators defenseman arrived back in Nashville the night of March 12 after the team flew home from Toronto instead of facing the Maple Leafs that evening. Shortly thereafter, Hamhuis, who has three daughters, began to hit the books instead of the ice.

"Trying to be a second, fourth and sixth grade teacher in multiple subjects had its challenges," Hamhuis laughed during a recent video chat with reporters. "I was sneaking away into the other room and Googling things, so I could look like I knew what I was talking about with the kids."

In between math, science and history lessons, Hamhuis never stopped training for what he hoped would be a return to hockey in the months to come. So, when the NHL and NHLPA announced the ratification of their Return To Play Plan, as well as a four-year extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, on July 10, the news was welcomed - mostly.

"I'm glad I [got to spend so much time with my family], because I've been away now for a month already from family to be down here getting ready for this," Hamhuis, whose wife and daughters remained back home in British Columbia, said. "This is probably the hardest part about being here in the training camp is the part of being away from family."

After heading to Canada with his family earlier in the spring, Hamhuis returned to Nashville on June 20 because of an expiring work visa. Because of those circumstances, it's possible Hamhuis will be away from his loved ones for upward of four months. With the longest NHL road trips barely making it past two weeks, it's an amount of time Hamhuis never expected to have to deal with in this line of work.

That made the goodbyes the most difficult he's ever dealt with.

"Those were some tough conversations for them and for me," Hamhuis said of his family. "There were a lot of tears shed both ways the week leading up to when I knew I had to go. With [my daughters] being older too, it made it really tough there. They understand what's going on, they understand that it was going to be difficult, but at the same time, I appreciated that they supported me. They said, 'Well, if you're going to go, you better win, and you go win the Stanley Cup.'"

That sentiment is what will be driving so many players over the coming months, many of whom have already had the same goodbyes experienced by the Hamhuis family.

But as a hockey player, the thought of winning a Stanley Cup is enough for most to make the sacrifice. And for Hamhuis, who is in his 16th NHL season - eight of which have now come with Nashville - that chance may not come around much more.

"Just appreciating being in the room with the guys, and going in for a workout before practice, just the purpose that's involved with that as opposed to just working out for fun and to feel good [has been nice]," Hamhuis said. "To work out with a purpose and doing it with guys that are like minded and both trying to achieve something together and pursuing that excellence, those are things that I really appreciate. And just the little things, being on the bench with the guys, the chatter, the challenges and practice… it's fun to have hard days, it's fun to have lighter days, you just learn to appreciate so much more in a different light."

Every team needs a veteran voice like Hamhuis, who has seen just about everything in his 1,148 regular-season games in the NHL, and 68 more in the playoffs. Not only will his experiences help, but at the age of 37, Hamhuis also carries a unique perspective on life that many younger players simply haven't acquired just yet.

"As things started to progress toward playing it was exciting to know that there may be a chance and that the training we're doing was purposeful and going to be meaningful," Hamhuis said. "Working toward something now, to be in a training camp; as you get older, I think you really start to appreciate just the little things… It's such a privilege to be able to play in this League, and I think you realize that when you first come in and you realize it when you're toward the end. This has been fun to be around the guys and do this again."

Of course, there's no way to know exactly how this journey will ultimately conclude for Hamhuis and the Predators, but there's reason for optimism. Plus, this sacrifice is greater than just about any have ever experienced in their careers.

But there's no doubt: Hamhuis is ready for another shot at Lord Stanley. And as his daughters said: "If you're going to go, you better win."

"You've got to put that stuff out of your mind and forget about what you're missing," Hamhuis said. "Just focus on the opportunity that we have in front of us, and personally for me, it's exciting because I probably don't have a lot of opportunities left to compete for a Stanley Cup. I'm excited for this opportunity."