As more Hurricanes players become fathers, Carolina hopes maturity can be the difference in ECF
The Carolina Hurricanes are growing up. Eight straight playoff appearances will do that to you.
“There’s not many situations this group hasn’t been through,” Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said ahead of their Eastern Conference Final appearance versus the Montreal Canadiens. “I think that shows.”
They are more mature on the ice, and many players have growing families off it.
“Family is extremely important to me,” Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. “My wife and my kids, they go through a lot throughout the year with the travel that we have.”
Slavin and his wife, Kylie, have an adopted daughter named Emersyn and a biological son, Charles. The whole Slavin crew was watching dad practice a couple days before the Eastern Conference Final series began. Charles even took the ice wearing a No. 74 jersey with “Daddy” embroidered on the back.
“He loves the game. He loves coming to the rink, my daughter as well,” Slavin said.
Slavin is a “veteran” dad at this point on the Canes, but this postseason they’ve seen a couple players become new fathers.
K’Andre Miller, one of Carolina’s offseason additions, recently welcomed his first child
“He’s happy, he’s healthy and he’s with both of his parents, so couldn’t ask for much more,” Miller said.
Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers, Miller has fit right in with the Canes family, and now has one of his own. Miller and his girlfriend, Addison, welcomed son Kashton, at about 1:20 p.m. on May 2. Later that day, Miller played in Carolina’s 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the NHL playoffs.
“It was awesome honestly,” Miller said. “Been waiting on him for a couple months now.”
Miller was able to use Carolina’s 11-day break between the second round and the Eastern Conference Final, the longest break between series in over 100 years, as an unofficial paternity leave.
“It’s been nice to go back after practice and spend time with him and see those development steps,” Miller said. “Just see him grow in his day-to-day activities.”
Miller’s defensive partner, Sean Walker has used the break for some family time as well. Walker got a Facetime from his wife, Taylor in the early morning hours following Carolina’s game 3 win at Philadelphia.
“It was pretty surreal at the moment, when she first Facetimed me,” Walker said. “She said her water broke and I was like ‘Oh s***, okay, this is happening.'”
With some help from the Hurricanes, Walker was able to catch a flight back to Raleigh. He was able to be there for the birth of his daughter, Quinn, then fly back in time to play in game 4.
“It was crazy. It was quite the 36 hours or whatever it was,” Walker said. “Thankful the team was on it and made sure everything worked out smoothly. My wife was a trooper the whole time and just so pumped for the birth of my daughter obviously.”
Walker and Miller aren’t the only Canes to have a child born during the playoffs. Sebastian Aho and his wife, Rosa, recently celebrated their daughter’s first birthday. She was born in the days leading up to Carolina’s second round series versus the Washington Capitals last year.
“It’s the best thing in life honestly,” Aho said. “It’s such a huge moment and honestly just happy that everyone’s worked out schedule-wise. I think you have to be there to go through it with your wife. It’s amazing to see guys having those days. You’ll remember that forever.”
Aho’s linemate, Seth Jarvis, isn’t a dad, but he did coin Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook his “two dads” when he played on a line with them.
“I got put with their line for the first time and they are both dads, both pretty old,” Jarvis said with a sarcastic smile. “I got to play with them, and we had a lot of success. I must have said it in a post-media scrum and now they are the daddies.”
Jarvis hasn’t caught the baby fever, he says playing with Aho’s daughter is enough.
“This playoffs is entertaining. There’s babies popping out everywhere,” Jarvis said. “It’s a huge moment. It’s cool to share a little bit with them. I don’t know anything about it. I don’t plan on knowing anything about it anytime soon. I like to watch from the peanut gallery for now.”
Jarvis may not be ready for a family, but he has one thanks to the Canes. It’s part of the culture that Rod Brind’Amour helped create.
“We say that we are a family,” Jordan Martinook, Hurricanes alternate captain, said. “When we start bringing our kids in and they are saying hi to your coach and playing hockey with your coach, it’s pretty cool.”
“I’m fortunate to have played here and this place is my home,” Brind’Amour said. “(I) watch these guys grow up and coach them. It’s different than maybe most coaches who have to bounce around. They wear this [logo] one day, then the next they are flipping on another one. They are saying the same things but can’t really mean that. I’m fortunate that way.”
As the Canes begin their third Eastern Conference Final in 4 years, and their 4th appearance in the round under Brind’Amour, the hope is that the experience and family connection can be the difference.
“We’ve been through a lot, a lot of tough endings and all that,” Brind’Amour continued. “It’s all growth, and you hope it means something. You hope all the tough times is going to pay off for sticking with it.”
