Steven Santini shares NHL experience with son, Chase, for first time

Tuesday night won’t be forgotten among the Santini family.

Chase Santini, the 6-year-old son of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Steven Santini, watched his dad play in the NHL for the first time.

The Lightning suffered a 5-2 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Benchmark International Arena, but the final result won’t dim what was a bright-eyed experience for the young Santini.

He might not have been the loudest voice in the building, but he was definitely the biggest fan of No. 16 in Lightning threads.

Chase called it “pretty cool” to see his dad play in Tampa Bay and was impressed by the massive size of Benchmark International Arena.

The 6-year-old Santini enjoyed the game, also making sure to enjoy some in-arena treats. His enthusiasm showed under a Lightning baseball cap while he enjoyed some chocolate cake from his arena seat on Tuesday night.

“Seeing how the rules are working and how does it (hockey) work,” he said of his favorite part.

The Lightning defenseman said after the game that it was a moment he won’t soon forget, one he’s been looking forward to for a long time. He made sure to find his son near the glass during warmups, sharing a quick moment before the game.

“It’s special,” Santini said. “It’s my 10th year pro. I haven’t been an NHL regular all 10 years, but I played over 100 games and I’ve had a lot of opportunities in my life. It was very spur of the moment to have my wife and son come down, but they made it in time, and I’m really happy they did.”

His wife, Erin, was pregnant with Chase when Santini was playing for the New Jersey Devils. She also thought Tuesday night was a full-circle moment.

“When he was in New Jersey, when we left New Jersey, I was pregnant with Chase. And then with COVID and living apart and then having our daughter, we just never really lived together when he was playing in the NHL. So it’s definitely pretty cool.”

Chase and his sister, Chelsea, attend about 25 Syracuse Crunch games a year and enjoy watching their father captain the Lightning’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Chase is a big hockey fan, and he’s even started to play himself.

Santini has put on his coaching skates as well, teaching Chase and his teammates how to play the game while developing fundamental hockey skills.

“It's just a great joy seeing the smile on their faces, seeing them get better and enjoy the process of getting better,” Santini said. “It's a great joy, and I’m looking forward to doing it the next few years as well.”

Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) forward John Hayden is Chase’s second favorite player. Santini and Hayden were teammates for the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP)—and the duo fought once in an NHL game. Santini’s kids refer to Hayden as ‘Uncle John’, and Hayden is Chelsea’s godfather.

Hockey has played a central part in the Santini family. Chelsea enjoys dancing to the music during warmups and the intermissions in Syracuse, and she’s next on the list to hopefully see Santini play in the NHL.

Not even a Lightning loss on Tuesday could ruin a memorable night for the family.

“It’s like you’re seeing hockey playing for real and trying to score points more often,” Chase said of his first NHL game.

His father enjoyed it too, not hiding his wide smile as his son ran near his feet in the hallway and greeted Santini’s NHL friends near the Lightning locker room on Tuesday.

“He's been around for six or seven seasons now, and as he gets older he's moved to, I think, eight places we counted the other day,” Santini said of Chase. “He knows the routine. He's watched a lot of hockey, and he's a really good kid. I'm really proud of him.”