The Washington Capitals left for the bubble in Toronto, leaving their families behind at home. If all goes well for the team, the players will be separated from their families for five weeks until the Conference Finals start in Edmonton in September. Then, the players and families can be reunited together in their hotel rooms in Edmonton.
Over the last few days, Capitals players had their final dinners and said their last goodbyes before departing.
The following are the cute but gut-wrenching social media posts.
Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson took a photo with his girlfriend Taylor Pischke and his dog Halle in his backyard in DC. “Lucky to have had this quaranteam over the last 5 months!” Wilson wrote. I’m pretty sure even Halle is smiling.
Later that night, Halle, using her incredibly dexterous paws, posted a photo laying on her dad’s legs on Instagram. “It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later 🥺😭 #papagoestobubble.”
The heartstrings are being pulled on this one.
John Carlson
Gina Carlson posted a photo of her husband John with their sons, Lucca and Rudy, at a golf course. “We love you daddy, & one day maybe we will beat you 🏌️ but you will probably say it’s bc mommy didn’t let you golf enough 😉we are going to miss you like crazy in a few days 💙,” she wrote.
On Sunday, she posted a goodbye photo.
TJ Oshie
Lauren Oshie posted a family photo featuring TJ and herself along with their two daughters Lyla and Leni. “Celebrated our anniversary a tad early. We’re going to miss you @tjoshie7 😭,” Lauren wrote.
She also posted a photo of TJ with their son Campbell.
Nic Dowd
Nic Dowd and wife Paige had their first child, Louie, on New Year’s Eve. Saturday night, Paige posted a photo of Louie and the couple’s dog, Arlo, posing together on the bed. “Reunited and missing you, @napd_26,” Paige wrote.
She also posted a family photo of the family together one last time.
Nick Jensen
Jenner Jensen posted a photo of her husband Nick holding their son Lorenzo. “Counting down the days until we get more kisses from @nick_jensen3 😥,” she wrote on Instagram.
Alex Ovechkin
And finally, the captain.
Ovi posted a photo with his family at Kizuna Sushi & Ramen. “best sushi 😍,” he wrote.
Other players like Nicklas Backstrom, who left his family in Sweden, were separated from their loved ones when Phase 3 Training Camp started on in mid-July.
“It’s gonna be tough to be [in Toronto] without families,” Ovechkin said earlier in the day, “but at the time of year, we all understand why we here and why we go there.”
Headline photo: @tomwilson/@lauren.oshie/@gnacarlson
