Charlie Lindgren experienced both the highest of highs and lowest of lows during a hectic period that saw him become a father and the Washington Capitals be eliminated from the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As Lindgren suited up to be Logan Thompson’s backup in Game 5 of the Capitals’ second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, his pregnant wife, Mikkayla Mae, headed to the hospital to give birth to their first child. The Capitals, who were already concerned about Lindgren’s possible availability that night, called up Clay Stevenson from the AHL’s Hershey Bears in the morning just in case he couldn’t play.
“Mikky – she got to the hospital at 6 pm that night,” Lindgren said. “So, yeah, had the game and then went home quick, packed a bag, got out of my suit, got into something more comfy, and headed to the hospital… It definitely made things more interesting, more complex, for sure.”
Previously in the second-round series, Lindgren was unavailable for Game 2 due to what the Capitals termed “personal family reasons.” The team already had minor-leaguer Mitchell Gibson around for insurance.
“I had to leave before [Game 2] because there was a chance that maybe we thought the baby was going to come that night,” Lindgren said. “But she held off.”
The Capitals fell to the Hurricanes on Thursday, 3-1 at Capital One Arena, seeing the best-of-seven playoff series end in five games. The way things concluded was heartbreaking, especially considering the Capitals were the Eastern Conference’s number one seed and had the most standings points in the NHL for a chunk of the year. Defined by their resiliency, the Capitals had the most comeback victories in the NHL during the 2024-25 campaign.
“I was telling the guys after the game, it really is like a swing of emotions, because we talked about in the room after the game, it’s the last time this group is going to be together,” Lindgren said. “So you’re in the dumps, you feel terrible, especially the way the game ended. It was a really back-and-forth hockey game. We’re pushing, we’re pushing, and then they score with a minute and a half left or whatever it was, and then the season comes to an end. And obviously, as you guys all know, it was an unbelievable year for this group here. We had a phenomenal season. And we truly believe that we had a team that could go all the way. So yeah, you’re feeling terrible. But then, obviously, you know what’s to come. And that was welcoming our baby girl into the world.”
Lindgren arrived at the hospital not long after the Capitals and Hurricanes shook hands at center ice.
“That whole night, Mikky didn’t sleep a minute; she was in constant pain that whole night,” Lindgren said. “I slept a little bit, but then [Friday morning] everything went down. It was go time. And, yeah, just the fact, like we found out that she was pregnant on the day we got here this year, and then the baby comes the day after the season. So it was like throughout the whole season, it’s just been this journey. We couldn’t be more happy and more lucky now.”
He added, “You knew that you’re going to feel terrible for a bit, but then, you’re going to be on top of the world, and that’s kind of what it was.”
The couple named their daughter Molly Mae Lindgren as “kind of an ode to Mikky Mae, her mom.” Their beautiful bundle of joy was born at 12:56 pm on Friday afternoon — 15 hours and 13 minutes after the final horn sounded on the Capitals’ season at 9:43 pm on Thursday night.
“It was chaotic, stressful, but it was beautiful, too,” Lindgren said. “It was quite the experience. Never forget it.”
While Lindgren was ecstatic about his newfound responsibilities at home — “Papa Lindgren sounds good” — he may have to tail back on one of his biggest hobbies, hunting.
“I’ve got to figure that out,” he said. “I don’t know how much leeway I’m going to have with the wife for a while here.”
Nicknamed The Outlaw, Lindgren initially turned down an opportunity to play with Team USA at the 2024 World Championship so he could go turkey hunting. He later reconsidered and played one game for the team, giving up one goal in a 1-0 elimination loss to Czechia.
