Despite being traded from Seattle to Nashville just three days ago, Shane Wright wasn’t about to let his father, Simon, miss a chance to get to know his new team.
So, as the Preds newest centerman made his way to Tennessee, the elder Wright did so as well. He’ll be part of the annual Predators Dads’ Trip, this time for a one-game journey to Colorado to face the Avalanche on Thursday night.
Now a League-wide tradition that most teams host in some form on an annual basis, the Predators take credit for being the first organization to hatch the idea more than 25 years ago when David Poile was the general manager and Barry Trotz was behind the bench.
Since then, the Preds have hosted dads’ trips - and moms’ trips, too - as a way for the current players to give back to their biggest fans and supporters.
This time around will be no different, and those in the Nashville locker room are very much looking forward to having their fathers along for the next 48 hours.
“They're pretty special trips to have your dad here, and especially with the older you get, you kind of appreciate it more and more because you know there's not going to be that many left,” Preds Captain Roman Josi said of having his dad, Peter, on the trip. “I've had so many cool memories, so many amazing memories, and it’s such an amazing time to bond with your dad. To give back and show them how grateful we are for what they did for us, it's a pretty special trip.”
“It’s a lot of fun to get to show him what our everyday life looks like and for him to travel with the team,” Preds forward Adam Edstrom said about his dad, Magnus, who is making his first fathers’ trip. “I heard they got some stuff set up for the dads in Colorado, too, so I think they're going to have a good time.”
Edstrom, whose parents were both track and field athletes back home in Sweden, says his family still wakes up in the middle of the night to watch his games. But for a bit, the elder Edstrom will have an uninterrupted sleeping schedule.
“Both my parents have been a huge support for me growing up playing hockey with all the hours in the car, like driving you to and from practice,” Edstrom said. “They’ve always been there and supported me… They kind of have that winners mentality and just always been there and helped push me. They’re the best.”
Reid Schaefer will have his dad, Jeremy, along for his first NHL fathers’ trip as well, but he’s no stranger to hockey locker rooms.
Selected in the seventh round of the 1994 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins, Schaefer’s dad had a successful junior career in the WHL before skating a pair of seasons with the Roanoke Express of the ECHL back in the late ‘90s while racking up plenty of penalty minutes.
Nowadays, it’s Reid who is living the dream, and he can’t wait to have his dad back in the fold.
“He was drafted to the National Hockey League, played pro a little bit, so I looked up to him and wanted to follow in his footsteps,” Schaefer said. “He was there for me right from day one. He was coaching me as a little kid, and then just obviously the sacrifices he's made, driving to the rink, early mornings, all stuff like that… He’s done a lot for me, and I'm grateful for that.”
Wright and his father have enjoyed a fathers’ trip with the Kraken before, but the chance to do so with Shane’s new club was too good to pass up - especially as his son embraces the new opportunity with the Preds.
“I found out the day I got traded there was a dads’ trip, literally in two days,” Wright said. “So, called my dad, he scrambled to get on the flight and he made it yesterday. He was at the game [for my Preds debut], and he’s here for the trip.
“He was an intense hockey dad, and he pushed me and obviously sacrificed a lot for me to play hockey and to chase my dreams. He was always supportive. He was always pushing me to be better, and I’m really thankful for him.”
And then there’s Josi, an NHL veteran, the captain of the Preds and someone who views these trips a bit differently now that he’s got more seasons behind him than ahead.
From that perspective, the trip brings something extra for a father-son duo that has come a long way since the youth hockey days in Switzerland.
“When you're younger, you're so caught up in everything being new, and now, you only have so many of these fathers’ trips left,” Josi said. “I think you're just more aware of enjoying it and just bonding with your dad. You realize how special it is, and I think when you're young, it's just kind of like everything, right? It’s definitely a little bit more special now.”
For all the hockey dads across North America - and throughout the world - very few are able to say their sons made it. But for this select group, it’s tough to beat the sense of pride that comes with a trip like this - and the feeling is mutual.
“You grow up looking to your dad and your mom, and they’re the ones that shape you to the person you end up being,” Edstrom said. “I've always looked up to my dad. I think he's a really solid guy all the way through, and someone that I strive to be like. I’ve got a lot of love for him, and I know he’s got a lot of love for me, too.”
The Preds will certainly look to make their dads proud on Thursday night when they take on a division rival as they try to extend their win streak to three games.
And not that they would need any extra motivation against the Avalanche, but having some familiar faces in the crowd certainly won’t hurt the effort.
“Playing on the road in Colorado, obviously one of the hardest buildings to play in, we’re definitely going to need some of that dad strength,” Josi said. “But when you have the dads in town, there's a little extra motivation.”
“It’ll be fun,” Edstrom said. “We’re going to give it our all, and it would be sweet to give the dads a win.”
