Ouellet: Cherishing quality time with family

MONTREAL - Days off on home turf are few and far between during the season, so as a relatively new father, Xavier Ouellet makes the most of every single one of them.

For the 25-year-old defenseman and his wife, Liz, that means spending as much quality time as possible with their sixteen-month-old daughter, Thea.
"When you're home and you get a day to be a dad, to be a husband and do little family things, it's fun. Even if you're feeling tired and you feel like being lazy, it kicks you out of bed and gets you going," said Ouellet, who has played 19 games with the Canadiens so far this season. "We like to get out of the house. There's this little farm-type place not too far away, and our daughter loves it. She can just play with the animals. We've also got swim class with her on Sundays, and we like to go to restaurants and bring her along just to get moving. She's super curious and she likes people."
And, her hockey knowledge isn't too shabby, either.
Back in early November,
we introduced you to the Ouellet's bundle of joy
when the six-year NHL veteran posted an Instagram video of her cheering on the Habs in New York and celebrating the first of two Tomas Tatar goals at Madison Square Garden. Tatar quickly referred to Thea as his "lucky charm."

Then, just a few days ago, Ouellet shared another adorable clip of Thea working on her hockey skills and saying the word "hockey," which caught Liz completely off guard.

"It's crazy. I think she surprises us every day," said Ouellet. "We always ask ourselves, 'Did she mean to do that?' or 'Did that just happen?' She does like to watch the games on TV, though. My wife puts on every game. It's something she got used to and she sees around her. She's been to games at the Bell Centre, so she probably sees people react when there are goals, and I would assume that's kind of what triggered her to kind of clap and look around."
So, what does Ouellet enjoy most about fatherhood? Everything!
"Just playing around with her. We try to spend as much time as we can as a family," mentioned Ouellet. "It's about the little things where she's enjoying it, she's smiling, she's laughing, she's playing around. That's pretty cool."

And, Ouellet can't get over just how clever Thea is already. She impresses him daily.
"She's so young, but it seems like she understands what we tell her. It seems like she can communicate. It's amazing to see that kids are so receptive and how fast they learn and can repeat after you sometimes," confided Ouellet. "For us, it's still a new thing and we really enjoy that."
Here's to you, Liz!
When you spend as much time on the road as NHLers do, staying in touch means everything.
Like a lot of people these days, Ouellet is a big FaceTime guy and it's come in extra handy since Thea was born.
"At first when she was younger, I'd go away and come back and it took a little time before she recognized me. I didn't like that. So, we started using FaceTime," said Ouellet, who has already spent over three weeks on the road with the Habs this year. "Her getting to see my face on camera kind of helped a little bit. We try to do it maybe once a day, just so she can see me."

That helps, of course, but Liz is with her around the clock when the Canadiens are away from the friendly confines of the Bell Centre.
According to Ouellet, his better half has been sensational amidst a rather hectic schedule.
"It's a lot harder than people think. When you look from the outside, you see this beautiful life and journey, but when you're in it, it's challenging. Liz spends a lot of days at home with the baby and takes care of a lot of things. When you're on the road, you feel helpless. You can't really do much. I think there's a lot of pressure on the moms to keep everything going when you're gone. It can be tough, but she's been doing awesome," praised Ouellet. "She really supports what I do, lets me sleep when I need to when I'm home, all these little details that allow me to perform. She really steps up in that way, for sure."