"It's been a big sacrifice for her," admitted Froese on his better half, who wrapped up her studies at the University of Calgary a few months before the pair tied the knot in front of friends and family at Valley Ridge Golf Club. "She actually works in operating rooms. But when we were down in Cincinnati or anywhere in the States, she couldn't work. That kind of took a toll on her. What was great being in Toronto for the last few years was that she got to work at Toronto Western Hospital, one of the top hospitals in the country. She was involved in brain and spine surgeries there, and she had great colleagues. It was basically her dream job."
When Froese signed a two-year contract with the Canadiens last summer, Teil left her dream job behind to join him in Quebec. Unfortunately, she isn't fluent in French just yet, a necessary requirement to practice locally.
"In Quebec, they have different rules and procedures. She tried to get her license here, but you have to take a French exam, so it hasn't worked out. We even considered her making the trip to Ontario every day, but it's a long drive, so we decided to put it on hold and see what this year brings," he explained. "The way my career has been, I've been on two or three different teams a year, so you never know what can happen. I just know that it was a pretty tough day for her when she had to quit that job, but it shows the level of support she has for me."
The Winkler, MB native clearly fed off that tremendous support early on last fall when he quickly made a good impression on the Laval Rocket brass and was named the first captain in the club's history on November 3. Five days later, Froese was called up by the big club and has since played 32 games with the Habs, amassing a career-high eight assists and nine points.
Teil has been a source of strength for the veteran pivot during his hockey journey, and her willingness to take things as they come and roll with the punches, according to Froese, is simply off the charts.
