San Jose, Calif. – Mixed in among the players, media and other Avalanche team personnel in the visitors’ dressing room at the Honda Center on Saturday night were a group of older men, with name tags hanging from their chests.
Some gave pats on the backs to certain Avs players after their 3-2 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Others received a macho punch in the shoulder. For some, a “man hug.”
They were fathers, congratulating sons, basking in the jubilant atmosphere, normally reserved for players after a win. Still to come was what figured to be a fun plane ride to San Jose, where the fathers of Avalanche players will watch tonight’s conclusion of a two-game road trip.
It is part of a first-time Avalanche idea, to allow players’ fathers to fly on the planes, ride the buses and even stay in the same hotel rooms as their sons.
“It’s just been great,” said Daniel Brunette, father of winger Andrew Brunette, who scored a goal in Saturday’s victory. “Their careers are short, and it’s so nice to be able to experience this. I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”
So, it seems, are the players. About three-quarters of the fathers were able to make the trip. They began the trip Friday going to Anaheim, each father and son rooming together. They had breakfast as a group, and ate with the players at the early afternoon pregame meal. On the plane, they played cards just like the players, and maybe even polished off an adult beverage or two.
“It kind of reminds me what it was like at a minor-hockey league tournament as a kid,” Andrew Brunette said. “To room with them, and talk hockey and ride the planes with them, it’s been great. It’s like the old days.”
Said the elder Brunette, a retired former member of Canada’s ministry of natural resources, “Everything has just been first class. The Avalanche really takes care of people. The fathers have really enjoyed it and appreciated it. We’ve all just been having a great time together. And it’s nice that they won the game. Winning makes everything a little more fun.”
On Sunday, some players planned to play golf with their dads. Others were planning a trip to wine country, Napa Valley.
“I’ve never been on the road before with Ken, as a professional,” said George Klee, father of defenseman Ken Klee. “We’ve attended a lot of games, but never been on the road like this. I’ve always heard about it, and it’s a very interesting and rewarding experience. The only thing we haven’t done is take the pregame naps with them, too. They were like, ‘Go away, Dad. Let us get our naps.’ So, we were like lost souls in the mall.”
Ken Klee, 35, called the trip a “really cool thing.”
“My dad’s almost 70 years old,” he said. “He’s watched me play 700-plus games, but to be here with us, to see the guys kidding around, having fun, playing cards – that’s a real treat for him. It’s also great to see some of the other dads. You get a better idea of where some (teammates) come from.
“It’s a great dream for all of us to play in the NHL, but I guarantee, now that I have my own kids, the thought of them doing something like this just gives you butterflies.”
Daniel Brunette’s only regret so far? He missed his son’s first-period goal against Anaheim. He was talking to another father when it happened.
“That’s the way it always is with him,” said Andrew Brunette, with a laugh. “That’s how he rolls.”
Staff writer Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com.
