ARLINGTON, VA — The Washington Capitals will have some VIPs with them when they head to Tampa.
This week marks the Caps’ annual Mentors’ Trip, with players’ fathers, siblings, and other loved ones getting a behind-the-scenes look at life in the NHL.
Not only does the trip allow for some much-appreciated quality time during a busy season, but for the Capitals’ newest players, it may also be one of the first times their family has met the team.
Free agent signing Boone Jenner’s father went on multiple trips during Jenner’s 13-season tenure with Columbus, and he was in town for the Capitals’ home opener, but the next few days will give him a chance to get to know a whole new group of players, staff, and family members.
“You get to meet a lot more (people), meet a bunch of the staff, and get situated in the new team for him too. So it’ll be fun,” Jenner said of his dad.
Carl Tuch, father of offseason acquisition Alex Tuch, is looking forward to reuniting with friends he made while in town earlier this fall.
“(He) hit it off with Chychy and Stromer’s dads, the one game that they were here earlier in the season,” said Alex. “So he’s excited to see them.”
Even Jack St. Ivany, who only joined the Capitals three weeks ago, was able to add his dad to the trip.
“It’s tremendous that the organization puts it on, spends the money to get them here, and it’s really cool for them to be able to live the high life with us,” he said. “They put all the work in, but they don’t always get to see the life that we live, so it’s really cool to be able to get them out here.”
The trip doesn’t officially start until Sunday, when the group will fly to Florida together, but several of the dads will also go to Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.
Aliaksei and Ilya Protas’ parents weren’t able to make it to the United States this time, so Aliaksei’s father in law will serve as both players’ mentor, but the two are already planning on how to take advantage of the rules — which allow one guest per player — for next year’s trip.
“It’s nice, we have a little advantage,” Aliaksei said. “(We) can bring two guys.”
Jordan Kyrou’s mentor won’t even need to make the flight down to Tampa — his friend Ben already lives in Florida, so he can meet the team there. The pair met during Kyrou’s time with the St. Louis Blues, and he’s excited for the chance to celebrate Ben for his years of support.
“I don’t know if he’s done anything like this before, so I think it’ll be pretty fun for him,” Kyrou said. “He’s just been a really close friend of mine for a while now, and I can always lean on him for anything, really. So it’s nice to have him there.”
Beyond their own guests, players were also looking forward to meeting the other mentors and getting a peek behind the curtain of their teammates’ childhoods.
“[These trips are] really cool, not just to have my own dad out here, but to meet everyone else’s mentors and get to know the people that shaped teammates,” said St. Ivany.
Answers varied as to who everyone looked forward to meeting the most, but Anthony Beauvillier’s brother was a popular pick.
“Apparently he’s a menace,” quipped St. Ivany.
A sense of gratitude abounded in the Capitals locker room when talking about the upcoming journey. Most players’ mentors had spent years going on a different sort of hockey road trip, accompanying their child or loved one through grueling youth hockey schedules, and supported them as they chased a long-shot hope of making it to the pros. And once players reached the NHL, that meant spending the majority of the year in a far-off city without much time back home with family.
Now, even in a small way, players have the chance to recognize those who made their dreams possible.
“He’s always been there with me every step of the way, through all the ups and downs” Alex Tuch said of his father. “A lot of phone calls in the car, a lot of road trips when I’m younger. I spent a lot of time with my dad, probably more than most other kids.
“It’s been really special. So it’s like a little thank you to him and have a little bit of fun…To be able to spend some one-on-one time with him, it doesn’t come often, so it’s nice.”
