We are very pleased to have special guest writer Lucas Aykroyd provide
an article to our website. Aykroyd is one of the leading writers on
international hockey.
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How many of today's international hockey stars tied
their own skates, taught themselves how to shoot and
pass, and drove themselves to games when they were
kids? The answer is obvious, and that's why players
typically thank their parents for supporting them en
route to the big time.
In many cases, a special bond exists between fathers
and sons who attain the elite levels of hockey. For
instance, more than 70 father-son combos have played
in the NHL, and undoubtedly genetics, teaching skills,
and motivational talks all played big roles in these
success stories.
But all must learn to separate the personal from the
professional. "When we're at practice or playing
games, he's only a coach and I'm only a player," said
Ottawa ace Marian Hossa of his father Frantisek, who
coached the Slovak national team at the 2003 and 2004
IIHF World Championships.
In Europe, the local sport club system enables young
players to grow up with the same group of teammates,
sometimes even being coached by their fathers right
into manhood. In North America, paternal support often
comes from afar after the teen years, when players
move away to pursue junior careers.
Yet in the new world hockey order, such distinctions
are beginning to blur. Take Radek Bonk. Trained
rigorously by his father Jaroslav, the gifted Czech
forward moved to North America with his parents at age
17 to start playing pro hockey.
Let's check out three other examples of players
expected to star in the 2004 World Cup whose fathers
had a major impact.
PETER FORSBERG
The man they call "Foppa" is frequently dubbed the
world's best hockey player, and recently the 2003 Hart
Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion has
been the NHL's highest-paid superstar. You might
assume his father, Kent Forsberg, would gladly brag
about training his son.
Instead, the elder Forsberg is quite self-deprecating,
like most of the 60,000 citizens of Ornskoldsvik,
Sweden--even though his impressive hockey coaching
resume includes a 1998 IIHF World Championship gold.
"Peter's puckhandling and his ability to see the ice
were the keys when he was young," said Kent, who gives
partial credit to the solid coaching Peter received
from Ornskoldsvik's MoDo Hockey club when the
1973-born prodigy joined up at age six.
Kent, who recently returned as head coach with MoDo's
senior team, worked there with Peter from age 13
onward. Even before that, he encouraged a healthy
rivalry between Peter and his older brother Roger:
"When I'd come home to pick up Roger for the hockey
school, Peter would say: 'I must go there. Roger's
there, so I must begin too.'"
Kent is known as an intense competitor, but Peter took
his father's fiery spirit to another level. "Even when
he played chess or table tennis, he always wanted to
win or he'd be in a bad mood," said Kent. "When he was
young, he played on a junior team that won almost
every game. But when they started to lose, they would
play more physical." That spilled over into Forsberg's
trademark robust game with the Colorado Avalanche.
The senior Forsberg acknowledges his son could have
played better in the 1996 World Cup, and he knows
Peter will be hungry for redemption this time around.
"If he gets lots of goals or assists but the team
loses, he doesn't value it," said Kent. "He has such a
desire to win."
TOMAS KABERLE
After leaving the Czech Republic, Tomas took the fast
track to becoming an NHL defenseman compared to his
older brother. He cracked the Toronto Maple Leafs at
age 21 and has showcased his offensive skills with 224
career NHL points. Frantisek, nearly five years older
than Tomas, logged four seasons with Sweden's MoDo
before landing steady work with the Atlanta Thrashers.
Both Kaberles can credit their father, Frantisek Sr.,
with giving them a truly global hockey perspective.
Growing up in the Czech village of Velka Dobra, the
boys took their first steps on skates on an outdoor
patch of ice under their father's supervision. In 1982
Frantisek Sr., whose background included 104 Czech
national team games, accepted a two-year offer to play
in Japan, and Frantisek and Tomas got to skate on the
rink after the Niko club's practices.
The Kaberles got yet another taste of international
hockey when the family moved to Duisburg, West
Germany, where Frantisek Sr. served as a playing coach
for two seasons. Then the family went home and the
brothers both emerged as Czech Extraleague stars.
For the 2004 World Cup, Tomas might want to seek more
advice from their father, who played in the inaugural
Canada Cup in 1976. Frantisek, unfortunately, will
miss the tourney due to a groin injury.
MARTIN BRODEUR
When the much-heralded New Jersey Devils goalie helped
Canada capture its first gold medal since 1952 at the
2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the Montreal
native was following in his father's Olympic
footsteps.
Denis Brodeur won a bronze medal as Canada's netminder
in the 1956 Cortina Olympics, but later became better
known as the official photographer for the Montreal
Canadiens.
"As an athlete, you want to be part of great things
for your country, but you've also got the motivation
of family," Martin Brodeur said after beating the USA
5-2 on February 24, 2002. He wore a mask with
"Cortina" on one side and "Salt Lake City" on the
other.
It was the first time in history a father-son goalie
combo had earned Olympic medals. And in the 2004 World
Cup, we can expect the father-son hockey tradition to
be maintained with similar distinction.
Lucas Aykroyd is a Vancouver-based journalist who
covers the NHL, the IIHF World Championships, and the Olympics
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Legends
of Team Canada Book Oct 2004
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