The New Jersey Devils flipped the script on their annual Dads Trip this season and invited all of the players’ mothers for a vacation with their boys. That means that instead of Dancing Lars, former Capital Marcus Johansson has been reunited with his mother Gunilla.
Saturday, the Devils players and their mothers posed together in an adorable photo together at Nationwide Arena.
#SquadGoals pic.twitter.com/nxqwyg08BH
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 10, 2018
Amanda Stein also posted on her Instagram story a photo of the Johanssons together.
Photo: @amandacstein
The Devils labeled each of the players’ lockers with their Mom’s name.
This is the first time Mama and son have been spotted together in NHL media since Johansson was drafted in 2009. Mama Jo, overwhelmed with happiness, gave her son a big smooch after he was drafted by then Caps GM George McPhee.
The sad part is Mom likely won’t see Marcus play. The Swedish forward is currently out injured with his second documented concussion of the season. He suffered the injury after a flagrant elbow by Bruins forward Brad Marchand on January 24 and has not resumed skating yet.
Over the last two seasons, the Devils have gone 2-0-0 during their Dads Trip. Beyond continuing the winning and impressing their moms, Devils players’ had one other extra motivation to play well tonight: the dreaded cannon.
“Got to keep them off the board so they don’t go deaf,” Keith Kinkaid said to NewJersey.com’s Andrew Gross.
“We haven’t warned them yet,” coach John Hynes also said to Gross. “We’ll probably warn them in the morning, they’ll be in one of our team meetings just to see what goes on with that. Hopefully the cannon doesn’t go off.”
The Devils are one of a handful of teams that have hosted a Moms’ Trip in the past including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, and the Minnesota Wild.
Here are a few more photos from the Devils Moms’ Trip so far.
Mrs Boyle & Mrs Wood cracking up – boys not as amused! They’ll be on live with us 6:30p GAMENIGHT @NJDevils @MSGNetworks pic.twitter.com/ldEm6rH2iR
— Deb Placey (@DebPlacey) February 10, 2018
Hoping these wonderful Mom’s can bring some good luck tonight! @NJDevils Game time 7pm on @MSGNetworks #NJDvsCBJ pic.twitter.com/bSloqedTJz
— Ken Daneyko (@KenDaneykoMSG) February 10, 2018
We've flipped the script and had the #NJDevils Moms interview their sons as they embarked on the 2018 Mother's Trip! pic.twitter.com/pll9hIJ8WO
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 10, 2018
#NJDevils: The Captain and the Captain of the Greene family, Mom Linda Greene! pic.twitter.com/mG8zujwIs0
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) February 9, 2018
All aboard! @RevLovejoy6 and his mom Cari are ready to board the flight to Columbus! pic.twitter.com/D9Fl5TyTNL
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 9, 2018
S/T to RMNB Crasher and Marcus Johansson expert @heyjulieann for the help.
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