NASHVILLE — Ozzy Wiesblatt wasn’t thinking about the Gordie Howe hat trick.
He was only thinking of his brother.
The stirring point skyward after scoring his very first NHL goal Tuesday made that patently clear.
This one was for Orca.
“I’ve thought about pointing to the sky for my brother for a while now, and it was just a cool feeling,” said the Nashville Predators rookie, dedicating his second-period goal against his hometown Flames to his older brother, Orca, who died in a September car crash at age 25.
“Obviously that was for him. It was just a huge relief for me.”
Growing up in Calgary in a house with five kids and a deaf mother, it was the type of moment the brothers had dreamed of sharing.
Blowing out the candles on every birthday cake included a wish for NHL glory — a goal they discussed throughout their childhood in a single-parent home where mom’s sacrifices kept dreams like these alive.
So when asked post-game by Sportsnet’s Brendan Parker if he had anything he wanted to say to his family, the 23-year-old winger looked at the camera and delivered a powerful message to his mother, Kim.
He did it first in sign language, and followed it by saying, “Love you Mom.”
“My mom’s always watching, so that’s all I care about,” beamed the game’s first star, surrounded by reporters afterwards.
“I know they’re proud of me, and they don’t have to tell me that. Hopefully I’ll keep making my family proud every day, and I do the best I can.
“I’ve said it a million times, but so many people, so many families, have helped me get here. I know they’re back home watching all the time, and it means the world. It’s probably pretty cool for them to see that tonight, too.”
He said his first call would probably go to younger brother Oasiz, an undrafted junior star who is playing his first season for the Predators’ AHL affiliate.
The next dream is for them to play together in the bigs.
“He’s playing awesome hockey in Milwaukee right now too, so I’m super proud of him and how he’s developing,” Wiesblatt said.
“It’s just super cool.”
So was the vibe at Bridgestone Arena where the crowd was still buzzing from Reid Schaefer’s first NHL goal, and Steven Stamkos’ 1,200th NHL point, when Weisblatt jammed a Michael Bunting pass past Devin Cooley to put the Predators up 4-0.
As he was congratulated by linemates on the ice, the rest of his team was bouncing with excitement, thrilled to welcome the popular youngster with fist bumps and hugs.
As he skated their way, he gave the skyward point that melted everyone in attendance.
“Very special,” said Stamkos.
“Obviously a touching moment for him and his family, and what they’ve had to endure this year has been difficult for them. You can’t even describe a feeling I’m sure that they’ve had. I think that was a very special moment in a trying year for their family, and we felt the energy on the bench. I’m sure if you had a video camera on the bench, it was probably the biggest celebration of the year.
“You know how hard he’s worked, what he’s gone through, and to be honest, probably should have about 10 goals the way he’s played this year. And it’s a testament to him that he just continues to go to the tough areas on the ice to utilize that speed and tenacity and the skill that he has. So, it was great to see him finally get rewarded.”
To do it against the Flames, on a Calgary broadcast that also saw him drop the gloves with Blake Coleman, only added to the feels.
“With Ozzy, everything he’s gone through, to see him score… it was probably the biggest eruption on the bench we’ve had all year,” confirmed Preds coach Andrew Brunette following a 5-1 win that saw his club pull into a last-place tie with Calgary.
“It makes you emotional in a lot of different ways. A pretty special thing, just being on the bench and seeing the emotion not just from Ozzy, but also from our team speaks volumes of the group of guys we have, and how close they are.
“It’s moments like that you play the game for.”
Wiesblatt spoke of how proud and excited he was to share Schaefer’s big night (the Edmonton native had his first goal and a fight with his family in attendance) and felt like the Stamkos milestone in his memorable evening added to the pinch-me moments leading up to it.
“It’s ridiculous, they are video game numbers,” chuckled Wiesblatt of ol’ Stammer’s 1,200th.
“It’s so cool to be playing on his team. I remember, not even too far back, I’m playing NHL (video games) and I’m Steven Stamkos. So cool to be around him, and for him to hit a milestone like that. It’s super special.”
So enthused by the evening, he insisted it never occurred to him he was just an assist away from the Gordie Howe hat trick.
“I got hit, and just wanted to defend myself,” he said of his fight with Coleman.
“Too bad Mac (Michael McCarron) wasn’t there to save me for the 100th time. But yeah, just want to defend myself, and it was just one of those things I felt like I had to do.”
Much like the skyward point to honour big bro.