{"id":604062,"date":"2026-06-21T23:15:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T23:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/604062\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T23:15:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T23:15:46","slug":"how-becoming-a-father-changed-the-perspective-of-members-of-the-avalanche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/604062\/","title":{"rendered":"How becoming a father changed the perspective of members of the Avalanche"},"content":{"rendered":"

The once young Colorado Avalanche have now become a team of veterans. And dads.<\/p>\n

Throughout the season, The Denver Gazette spoke to several Avalanche players about life before and after becoming parents and how becoming fathers has changed their perspectives on the game and life. With Father\u2019s Day now here, what better time than now to share their thoughts on fatherhood and if becoming a father gives them something else to look forward to when their playing careers are eventually done.<\/p>\n

Happy Father\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

Scott Wedgewood<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just maturity in itself, as you get older, you kind of don\u2019t hang on as many bad games. I remember like, just trying to get in the league, you\u2019d have something go wrong or a day go wrong in the AHL, you\u2019d sit in your car and hit your steering wheel a little bit (harder) than you should have and then the next day, go back to work, things like that. Right now, my day is that hour and 26 minutes she wakes up and I get to play with her, right? So, yeah, that side of it for sure. Days over, you wake up, you got to go get her out of bed. There\u2019s times where we have late games and my wife lets me sleep in if we get back late and travel and things like that. And then I wake up at 8:30, 9 o\u2019clock and it\u2019s like, \u2018Oh, crap, I\u2019m going to miss the first hour.\u2019 It\u2019s changed in the sense of where your thoughts go. Used to just be a lot of downtime, and whatever I want to do time. Now it\u2019s what can I do with her, or what does she need done. That whole daily agenda and calendar is now all her, and it\u2019s a lot more rewarding, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was joking with my wife the other day about how much we\u2019ve moved. If we got to move our kids as much as we moved, I\u2019m out. 17 different trades and moves and things. We\u2019re so excited about what their lives will be, where it\u2019s going to take us and everything and giving them the best opportunity. We\u2019re lucky enough and fortunate enough to start them off in this situation and make some money and provide for their future and change some things that my wife and I didn\u2019t have growing up, but we had a really good childhood. You just turn it toward them and I think when it\u2019s all said and done, I\u2019ll continue to do something in the hockey realm. Obviously it\u2019s not just going to be golf and sipping cocktails.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson, skates with puck as Los Angeles Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson reaches for it during the first period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo\/Mark J. Terrill)<\/p>\n

Brock Nelson<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve said ever since we\u2019ve had our first and now with four, obviously, it\u2019s a lot, but going home, it\u2019s nice to get away from the game and give yourself a break and you\u2019re just thinking about the kids\u2019 stuff and kind of being immersed in their schedule. It\u2019s so nice to check out from the game. You still think about it, but maybe not overanalyzing as much when you\u2019re kind of sitting there by yourself and looking at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlenty of bad games over the years. You come home now with kids; they\u2019re just so happy to have you home and up for breakfast. \u2018Can you bring me to school?\u2019 or \u2018Can you take me here?\u2019 And they just enjoy the simplest of things. If I say we\u2019re gonna have a coffee date, and they\u2019re just like, this is the best thing ever. Those moments, being home, just playing with them, mini sticks now. They\u2019re kind of getting to the point now where, the oldest kids, they understand it a little bit. Beckett will kind of be like, \u2018why didn\u2019t you win?\u2019 Kind of asking the hard-hitting, black-and-white questions, like a kid does, right? It gives you a different perspective on it. I feel like it gives you a little bit of a break to really focus on just family stuff and life stuff. There\u2019s more to life than just hockey, even though it\u2019s kind of consumes everything for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42) skates against Los Angeles Kings center Scott Laughton (21) during the third period of Game 2 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo Jack Dempsey)<\/p>\n

Josh Manson<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of things change, right? Your priorities obviously shift. So there\u2019s different challenges. Kids are a blessing, but they\u2019re also a lot of work. What you do in your off-time changes. Maybe it\u2019s not as selfishly focused or motivated. It\u2019s, what can we do to make them happy? I was always pretty good at washing (away bad games) but when you come home and your kids are running to the door, can\u2019t really be beat the sound of \u2018Daddy\u2019 when you unlock the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n

Jared Bednar<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting a dog brings that (laughs). They\u2019re always happy to see when you come home. So the game, you want to be ultra focused and prepared when you\u2019re at the rink, but I think it\u2019s really healthy to have that balance where you can kind of let it go when you get home. And if you\u2019re single and you\u2019re going home to an empty apartment, that can be tough. You\u2019re married, you get your wife or girlfriend and it becomes a little easier. And if you have kids like you have to shift your focus to other places, and it helps you get your mind off the game. They\u2019re always happy to see you when you come home. You\u2019re able to sort of leave the game a little bit more at the rink and not dwell on things. Not that you don\u2019t do work at home, or don\u2019t think about the game at home, but at least it\u2019s not overwhelming or the sole thing you think about. Whether it\u2019s a hobby you have or family or whatever, I think having that balance allows you to be more prepared, more focused, not worn out from the game when you get back to the rink.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Avalanche forward Victor Olofsson<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s easier letting go of hockey, I would say, coming home. Before, maybe if I had a bad game or a bad stretch, I felt like I was maybe thinking about it a little bit more at home. Now, when I have a daughter, we\u2019re just playing. Whatever she wants to do, we kind of do. It\u2019s easier to get your mind off hockey in a way, which I think is very helpful. Obviously, the tough part when, maybe when they\u2019re newborns, not getting the sleep and stuff, it\u2019s obviously something you got to manage in the beginning. But I think you can adjust pretty quickly. It\u2019s life-changing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do look forward to seeing my daughters, because I got another one on the way, growing up and just kind of go and do whatever they want to do. If they want to be whatever, sports or dance classes or whatever they want to do and just kind of see them pursue their dreams and support them in whatever they want to do. I think that\u2019s going to be an amazing chapter in life. I\u2019m looking forward a lot to that process as well. Maybe before it\u2019s like, didn\u2019t really know what, still maybe don\u2019t know exactly what I want to do after hockey, but having that kind of makes it a lot easier seeing a life after hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n


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