He helped build the backyard rink that Thomas learned to skate on. Because their backyard in Aurora, Ontario was on a hill, extra plywood was needed to help even things out, and half the rink required more water than the other side. After two years of a somewhat uneven ice surface and a near-accident that could have flooded their house and a good chunk of the neighborhood, Thomas' dad and grandpa decided it was time to resod the lawn and level things out once and for all.
"I used to go down with my pickup truck and pick up the lumber [for the rink] in the spring and take it to my brother's farm and store it there," Waechter said. "I'd take it back in the fall and then we put up the rink with his dad… Even though Robert is in St. Louis now, his dad still puts the rink back up for the neighborhood kids and for Robert's younger brother."
After learning to skate on the backyard rink, Thomas began playing organized youth hockey, and Waechter would drive his grandson all across Canada for practices and games.
"I became the substitute father and cheerleader and all that stuff," Waechter said.
Later, Thomas would play in international tournaments that took him to Finland, Sweden, Italy, Germany and Prague.
Waechter traveled to all of them.