MONTREAL — Jake Evans has been a reliable two-way center for the Canadiens over the past five seasons.
But what’s he like off the ice? We spoke to his better half, Emily Flat, to learn more about the 27-year-old forward.
Answers have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
How did you meet Jake?
We met in the 10th grade. We’re from the same neighborhood. His friends and my friends connected, and that's how we ended up meeting. We’ve been at each other’s side ever since.
What were your first impressions of him?
Honestly, I met him and immediately felt really comfortable. It sounds corny, but I knew right away he was going to be in my life for a long time; I just didn't really know how long. And now we're engaged! You have to trust your gut. We have a lot in common; I think his sense of humor really drew me to him. It was cool to see how invested he was in his sport at the time. This was high school; everyone’s going to parties and hanging out with friends, but he always had a very strict curfew because he had hockey or practice the next day, and he had to eat a certain way, etc. I thought that drive was really cool, and it wasn’t his parents’ drive; it was coming from him.
You got engaged last summer. How did he pop the question?
He blew all my dreams out of the park. It was crazy. He got all my best friends and family members involved. He asked my parents for permission and surprised me at my friend’s cottage at a beautiful lookout point. He did a good job. He even set up really nice pillows, champagne and candles at the lookout point, and FaceTimed my mom before I arrived and was like, “Hey, does this look okay?” She was like, “Yeah, looks good!” [laughs] We had a beautiful private moment with a nice backdrop and scenery, super romantic. Afterwards, when I thought, "This is amazing, I couldn't ask for anything more”, we walked down, and all our best friends and siblings were there waiting to pop champagne, have dinner and party with us.