Can Someone Get My Old Man a Canadiens Hat? by Cole Caufield

Dear Montréal,

Two fast questions for you. 

One: Are you able to blow the doorways off for Game 3?

Two: Are you aware of the film Kicking & Screaming?

Will Ferrell, Mike Ditka, Robert Duvall. The child who performed Byong Sun. (OK, I appeared it up. Elliott Cho, if you happen to’re studying this, you’re a legend.)

If you haven’t seen it, Will Ferrell takes over because the coach of his son’s youth soccer workforce, and he develops a crippling habit to espresso in his pursuit of greatness. Incredible premise. I feel it gained Best Picture in 2005. I don’t know, perhaps not. But once you’re 9 years previous, something with Will Ferrell is like The Godfather. Me and my brother most likely watched that film 1,000 occasions once we have been driving to and from hockey tournaments. And perhaps that is a hockey factor, or simply a generational factor, however I really feel like all people has that one “backseat movie” that completely drives their mother and father up a wall. 

Now I suppose children are simply on their telephones or no matter, however again within the day, both your mother and father or your buddies’ mother and father had the hockey van with the flip-down DVD participant within the again. That was our household. We have been lucky sufficient to have the massive pungent van. Me and my brother and anyplace between two to eight of our teammates could be stuffed within the again, and my mother and father would sit within the entrance seats and simply be tortured by the strains from Kicking & Screaming time and again. I actually don’t even assume they’ve ever seen the film with their very own eyes, however my mother can 100% recite your complete script. On lengthy journeys, we’d be too lazy to modify out the DVD, so we’d simply run it again once more….

“Coffee is the lifeblood that fuels the dreams of champions!”

“Go to hell! While you’re there, why don’t you grab me a juice box!”

(Our mother and father actually cherished us, I suppose.)

Our complete childhood was principally one lengthy drive to some hockey rink within the Midwest. And sure, that is my backstory. BUCKLE UP, BABY. I understand how this stuff work. 

We grew up in Wisconsin, and if you happen to don’t know a lot about American hockey, you then most likely assume, “OK, so that’s like Minnesota and Michigan, right? Powerhouse.” 

But when it comes to hockey tradition, not less than at the moment, if you happen to have been a Wisconsin child, all people type of checked out you want, “Ehhh. I dunno.”

The competitors simply wasn’t the identical. If you wished to make a title for your self, you needed to go to play in tournaments in Chicago or Minnesota or Detroit. So that’s what we did. We drove. Or I ought to say, that’s what my mother and father did. I didn’t do jack s***! Hahahah. They did all of the work. I sat within the again and watched motion pictures and tried to carry my pee like a hero. As I received older — round 12 or 13 — I received a likelihood to go play for Team Illinois. Without blinking a watch, my dad was like, “Let’s do it.” 

An simple weekend was a 4-hour drive. But generally we’d have video games in Detroit, and it was 8 hours every manner. We’d hit the street after college on Thursday and be gone til Sunday. My mother was a third grade trainer, so she couldn’t depart her class. It would simply be me and my dad, and my dad…. Well, he’s a wildman. He coached and ran our native rink. Kind of like the last word Hockey Dad. I may speak for hours about him, however that is him in a single picture…..

You know these old-school hand gripper issues which are presupposed to make your forearms large? He had one from like 1982. He could be cruising down the freeway gripping the wheel with one hand and crushing units with the gripper within the different hand. Maniac. And the funniest half was that he cherished listening to 80s on 8 on Sirius. So he’s blasting Phil Collins with the home windows rolled down, simply crushing units with the gripper. Then he’d hand it over to me. 

“Your turn.” 

“Come on, guy. I’m 12.”

(He flips into coach mode.)

“Shooting is all about the forearms. That’s what people don’t understand….”

“Dad, I can’t feel my thumbs.” 

(Ultimate coach mode)

“Alright, go ahead and take it easy. But there’s another kid out there somewhere working twice as hard as you.”

“There’s a kid out there with … two grippers?”

(This complete dialog takes place whereas “I Can Feel It Coming In the Air Tonight” is blasting).

Brutal. But hey, I suppose it labored. I used to be an undersized child, so we have been at all times in search of any type of edge. My dad had this saying, and it nonetheless sticks with me now….

He stated, “Once you’re satisfied, it’s time to quit.”

He by no means made me do something, however he was at all times there on Thursday afternoon, behind the wheel, simply able to roll. It’s loopy to me that he by no means complained about having to drive 60 hours a month so I may have a likelihood to play towards higher competitors. If it wasn’t for my dad, I by no means would have made it to the NHL. At my dimension, coming from a soccer city in Wisconsin, there’s no manner. To be sincere, the NHL wasn’t actually even my dream at first. It didn’t appear practical. My dream was to get a free school training and play for the Badgers. 

Everything modified after I received a likelihood to check out for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program after I was 15. That 2001 delivery yr was ridiculous. Zegras, Boldy, Turcotte, York, Spencer Knight in web … and naturally you had Jack Hughes. He was positively the massive canine already. I had performed towards him in tournaments a few occasions and I should have pissed him off or one thing, as a result of after I received to the camp, he was me like, “………..this guy.” 

I knew I needed to do one thing to make my mark, however I used to be so in my head about taking part in “the right way” and “not cheating the game” and all that stuff. Well, I performed so proper that I didn’t do jack s*** on the market. I used to be Mr. Dump-and-Chase. I don’t assume I had a single level in any of the video games. I positively didn’t rating.

I informed my dad earlier than the final sport, “I think I blew it.” 

But I received a fortunate bounce, as a result of the coach on the time was John Wroblewski. I don’t know what he noticed in me, however he noticed one thing. Wrobs was in his workplace close to the tip of camp, and Jack was in there speaking to him about last cuts. 

He informed Jack, “I think we’re gonna take this kid.” 

(Me.)

Jack stated, “Wait, what do you mean?”

Wrobs stated, “We’re taking Cole.” 

“We’re taking Cole?”

“What’s the problem?”

“I don’t know, it’s just like …………………….. Why?”

Hahaha. That was Jack’s scouting report on me. Cole Caufield: Just why?

Thank God that Wrobs noticed the hockey participant in me. And I feel it labored out fairly properly for Jack, too. We grew to become actually good associates, and actually good linemates. Making that workforce modified my life. It allowed me to dwell out my dream on the University of Wisconsin, taking part in alongside my brother. And it clearly received me to the Montréal Canadiens, which I hate to even say is a dream, as a result of it’s one thing that’s nearly too cool to have dreamed about after I was younger. 

I don’t know if too many rookies in NHL historical past had the whirlwind I had. One day I’m in my school residence in Madison taking part in PlayStation … and three months later I’m taking part in within the Stanley Cup Finals.

When I received known as up on the finish of the 2021 common season, I didn’t even assume I used to be going to play. We have been on a street journey out west, and I used to be simply alongside for the experience. Healthy scratch. Get acclimated. Practice with the fellows. And man, these have been some guys. Shea Weber. Carey Price. Eric Staal. Corey Perry. Tyler Toffoli. I used to be coming into that room most likely trying just like the water boy. I couldn’t have been extra starstruck. We’re at a morning skate in Calgary, and it was a bag skate, in fact. I’m pondering I’m going again to the lodge for a good nap, throw on the swimsuit, sit up within the press field and have a Gatorade. 

We’re on the bus and any individual tells me, “Hey, you’re playing tonight.” 

I believed they have been joking. 

I stated, “Oh my God, we just bag skated. I’m toast.” 

I known as my mother and father and my brother, and that was an superior second, simply them getting choked up and saying, “We’ll be watching you on TV.”

That was the toughest nap of my life. I couldn’t even sit nonetheless. I imply…. I’m any individual who began skating in diapers. Me and my brother used to observe the NHL and be taking part in carpet hockey in full gear in the lounge, pretending that we have been these guys. I demanded to put on my hockey socks and the whole lot. So yeah, that night time in Calgary was just about the best quarter-hour and even plus-minus of my life. 

I believed that was most likely going to be it — a couple video games on the finish of the season. But we had a few accidents, and in some way I ended up within the playoff lineup. Everything went so quick that I don’t even assume I had time to be nervous. I’ll always remember, I used to be simply so pleased to be there and so amped up that we have been at a morning follow at first of Round 2 towards Winnipeg, and we’re simply presupposed to be warming up the goalies, proper? Nice and simple. 

We’re within the shootout line, and I stand up to the entrance, and I had this goosebumps second the place I suppose it lastly sunk in like, “You’re a Montréal Canadien. You’re coming down on Carey Price right now. This is unbelievable.” 

I got here flying down like a bat out of hell at a freaking morning follow after Game 2 of a playoff sequence — guys are actually nonetheless yawning, stretching — and I completely rip one on web.

As quickly as I let it go, I believed, Oh s***.

I smoked Carey proper within the face. The sound was insane. Everybody stopped. You may have heard a pin drop in there. All I may assume was, Is Shea me? Is he going to kill me?

I wished to dig a gap within the ice and conceal. 

Thank God, it was Carey Price. He shook it off prefer it was nothing, and he’s the chillest man ever, so he wasn’t even mad at me. 

But then I skated again to the road and one in all our vets simply checked out me and stated…. 

“Hey kid?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t ever f****** do that again.”

Noted. Noted. 

I feel I went five-hole on Carey for the following two months. The puck by no means left the ice. 

That Stanley Cup run was so intense that I don’t assume I even had time to be nervous. Coming out of COVID, and after not having followers within the area for therefore lengthy, I understand how a lot it meant to town of Montréal. We didn’t get the nice ending, nevertheless it was a nice experience, and I do know me and Nick took a lot from that have as younger guys. My dad at all times stated that it’s not failure if you happen to study one thing from it, and also you positively study one thing from each handshake line on the finish of a sequence.

I’ll always remember seeing a image of Kucherov dapping me up within the line after that Final. It was so surreal to me, being 20 years previous. Everything simply occurred so quick. Crazy that was 5 years in the past now. Obviously, we’re a completely different workforce. Tampa is a completely different workforce. But right here we’re once more, battling it out within the playoffs. And thank god we received a full Bell Centre behind us now. 

There’s ranges to the whole lot, proper? 

I used to be a hockey fan earlier than I used to be an NHL participant. So I really feel like I’m utterly unbiased after I say that there’s playoff hockey, after which there’s playoff hockey in Montréal.

And then there’s a complete different tier, which is Friday Night Playoff Hockey in Montréal. 

We have been clearly disillusioned to not get residence ice, however when that schedule got here out, and we noticed Game 3 on the Bell Centre on a Friday night time, all people was simply grinning ear to ear, like….

F*** me. This is gonna be insane. 

We know that it’s going to be completely rocking tomorrow night time.

And I do know what you’re pondering. Cole, are you loopy? You’re dropping this masterpiece in the midst of a playoff sequence? Shouldn’t you be napping? 

I am at the moment napping. 

I truly did this proper earlier than the sequence, and I informed the oldsters at The Players’ Tribune to solely drop this earlier than our first residence sport, to be sure to have been all fired up. I hope I did a good job. Any little edge, proper?

We’re not final yr’s workforce. I feel all people can see that. We took a lot from dropping that Washington sequence. They pushed us round. They owned us, level clean. But we discovered from that failure and got here again a tighter group this season, and a massive credit score goes to Nick and his management, and clearly to Marty. 

To be coached by one of many legends of the game…. I want I might be cool about it, nevertheless it’s simply insane to get to study from him daily. Marty has actually helped evolve my sport, and I feel a lot of it’s breaking down what I’m seeing with out the puck. People assume scoring targets is about having the puck in your stick, however 90% of the aim occurs earlier than you get the puck. 

It’s like Marty at all times says…. “Don’t play on your rollerblades.”

Basically, it signifies that hockey is all about beginning and stopping and never drifting by means of a good area. Especially within the playoffs, the area is so tight that you could’t be taking part in curler hockey on the market. You must park in these open areas once you see them. I simply really feel like Marty has all of the solutions, and it’s an honor to have the ability to sit in a video session with a man I grew up watching. He’s a massive a part of the explanation I received 50 this yr, and one other large half is clearly my teammates. 

My teammates…. Look, I gained’t go down the entire record, as a result of we gotta maintain these guys humble. But simply a particular shoutout to Nick for all of the assists. I can guarantee you he’s a lot louder away from the rink. The Quiet Leader branding is de facto strong although. He’s the actual deal in terms of a captain who leads by instance. 

And then clearly Lane, who can’t cease breaking data. His work ethic is so ridiculous that it most likely seems to be bizarre to some folks how a lot time he spends on the ice. This sport is all he cares about. I’ve by no means seen any individual happier to be on the market daily. To be this good this younger is unbelievable, and he positively pushes our group. 

And then I suppose I’ve to incorporate Slaf, regardless that I spend nearly daily with the man. Everybody can see why we took him #1 now. I don’t even know the way good he will be — it’s scary. The complete league ought to be fearful of what he can develop into. Slaf’s solely challenge is that he can’t appear to determine how American storage doorways work. He timed it fallacious with the parking gate popping out of my constructing and crunched his total hood. I feel the automotive was brand-spanking new. He drove to the primary residence sport after which instantly totaled it in essentially the most comical, slow-motion manner doable. He’s been carpooling to video games with Demi ever since. I don’t know what mechanic he’s been coping with, however I feel he received hosed. He simply received his automotive again now, six months later. 

Something like that might solely occur to Slaf. He’s the very best. 

To me, hockey is the very best sport since you actually can’t do it alone. Scoring 50 this yr was superior, nevertheless it was such a workforce accomplishment. And actually, it’s about the entire ambiance that you just’re in. The Bell Centre has been unimaginable all season, and to attain quantity 50 there in entrance of all you guys, and with my dad within the constructing … that was such a nice wave to experience into these playoffs. 

I feel most individuals have most likely seen the clip of my dad crying within the stands. Me and my brother have been cracking up, due to course he’s carrying a Brewers cap. The man’s son performs for the Habs and he’s weeping on digicam within the quarter-zip and the Brew Crew hat. I suppose he had Opening Day fever. Classic. (Security, don’t let him within the constructing tomorrow with out a Habs hat on.)

I suppose if you happen to simply see my dad’s tears, it’s a cool second for social media or no matter. But it’s important to perceive all of the hours within the automotive that went into that second, not simply from my dad however from my mother and so lots of my teammates’ mother and father alongside the way in which….  Yeah, all I can do is say thanks. You drove me right here to this second, actually. 

But hey, we had a blast on the market on the street, didn’t we, previous man? 

Thanks for all of the miles. 

And thanks upfront to our followers for going completely ballistic tomorrow night time.

— Cole