Preds Excited, Honored to Host Moms for Trip to Dallas

Steven Stamkos has done just about everything over the course of his illustrious NHL career. 

But bring his mom, Lesley, along for the ride? Well, the future Hall-of-Famer will be adding another first this weekend. 

For the second time in franchise history, the Predators are hosting their moms on a roadtrip - a one-game journey to Dallas - to show some of their biggest fans what life is like in the best League in the world. 

Usually, the dads are the ones who make the journey for trips like this, and teams across the NHL have made this an annual occurrence. But in recent years, different groups have gotten the call. 

The Preds held their first moms' trip on New Year’s Eve of 2018 in Washington - a rousing success that saw the visitors give their mothers plenty to cheer about in a six-goal win. But it’s been a minute since that first excursion. 

And now, the mothers who did whatever it took to help get their sons to this point will receive a well-deserved reward. 

“She's very excited, and I’m excited,” Stamkos said of the trip. “She’s been giving me the gears for years about how come the dads get all the fun trips? So, I’m excited.”

Stamkos has enjoyed at least a few fathers trips over the past two decades, including his first with Nashville last season. But while the dads are a bit more stoic, Stamkos knows the moms bring a different vibe that will also be appreciated. 

“I think the dads are probably the ones that get more of the limelight in terms of hockey and getting your sons into hockey, but I think the moms are just as important in terms of their role, especially for me,” Stamkos said. “I had a younger sibling growing up, so it was conquer and divide. I'm sure [my mom] didn't get to go to all the hockey games that she wanted to. My dad didn't get to go watch my sister play different sports and dance as much as he wanted to. But that's just the way it was. And when she did come, we had a blast. 

“Obviously, there’s a little different approach, I think, from the dads and the moms in terms of how they handled how you played the game as a kid - a little more constructive criticism from the fathers, and just unwavering support from the moms. And there were different tournaments where my dad couldn't make it, and she took me. I remember one in particular, we went to the Under-17 tournament representing Team Ontario, and I think we were in Whitehorse up in the Great North of Canada, and she made the trek with me up there. We won gold for Team Ontario, and it’s a memory I'll remember forever. So, a lot of great memories, for sure.”

One of the few on the Nashville roster who did experience that first moms' trip is Roman Josi and his mother, Doris - but that doesn’t make the Preds captain any less excited the second time around. 

“It's just such a different feel with the moms trip compared to a dads trip,” Josi said. “I remember winning the game [in 2018], and the moms were yelling and screaming and cheering… The dads are like, ‘Hey, good job.’ And everybody's excited too, but it's just different emotions with the moms, which is pretty cool. And it’s well deserved. I have kids now and family, and I see what the moms do. It's incredible. So, they deserve a moms trip.”

Luke Evangelista will also be bringing his mom, Margaret, along for the first time, and a familiar sentiment was heard from the Nashville winger on the feelings for the occasion. 

“She’s been pissed the last couple years because I think they did back-to-back dad's trip, so she’s fired up that it's the moms’ turn now,” Evangelista laughed. “We're all really excited about it.”

Evangelista, who has previously credited his mom for her support - and home cooking when she’s in town - once again emphasized what both of his parents have done to help him realize his NHL dream. 

And now, for a couple of days, his mom will do the same. 

“We owe it all to them,” Evangelista said. “I’m excited that after all the hours and effort and sacrifices they made, they get to kind of experience it with us for a day or two, even if it's just one time a year. It’s special, and we’re really excited to have everyone down here.”

So, should we be expecting a boisterous cheering section from a suite inside American Airlines Center in Dallas on Saturday night? 

“From the intel I gather for my sisters when they're watching the games with my parents, I think specifically, my mom is pretty anxious,” Evangelista smiled. “Like, she's standing up, she’s biting her nails, that kind of thing. Especially this year, we've had so many of those games where it's back and forth, it's down to the wire. We’re having these comeback wins, and so from what I hear, she gets pretty intense during the game. So, I’m excited for the moms to see that.”

A win over the Stars would be ideal, but regardless of how things go on the ice, this weekend has been a long time coming for many - and there will be no shortage of gratitude from both sides. 

After all, there’s no love like a mother’s love, and the Preds have never felt it more. 

“It’s mind blowing what the moms do,” Josi said. “I see it firsthand now. They’re always there for the kids, and my mom, she was athletic. She would always come skate with us, she would come do all the sports with us, she would drive us to practice and she was just so dedicated to do whatever it takes for us to enjoy practice or have fun. All our moms, we can't thank them enough for what they did.”