The Nashville Predators had a special surprise waiting for its players when they arrived at their hotel rooms on Sunday.
They were greeted with framed pictures of their families on their nightstands as first reported by The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. Star forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen shared photos of the sweet gesture on their Instagram Story.
“I’m not crying, you’re crying,” Duchene wrote.
NHL players could be separated from their families for as long as five weeks during the postseason. If a team reaches the Conference Finals, their families will be allowed to join them in September in the Edmonton bubble. Capitals players made their emotional goodbyes to their families over the weekend.
For Duchene, one picture features his wife Ashley holding the couple’s one-year-old son Beau while another is of the family’s dog Paisley with Beau.
Duchene thanked Predators’ Manager of Hockey Operations, Brandon Walker, for going above and beyond. “It means the world to us,” Duchene wrote.
Leaving for the bubble was clearly difficult for Duchene who recorded himself reading several books for Beau.
Meanwhile, Ryan Johansen was greeted by a photo of his bulldog and another with his family, including his younger brother – Capitals’ first-round pick Lucas Johansen.
Former Capital Troy Brouwer also found a picture of his family and a drawing from his kids at his St. Louis Blues’ hotel room.
Arriving in the bubble to this amazing surprise from the kids! Making it feel a little more like home. pic.twitter.com/zogOrVW5zp
— Troy Brouwer (@TroyBrouwer36) July 27, 2020
Other special touches NHL teams have added at the hotels include adding team branding to the walls and doors like the Toronto Maple Leafs did for their floor.
Photos courtesy of @matt9duchene/@ryanjohansen92
