Say What - 'It Lights Up The Room'

Jonathan Huberdeau on what this trip means to him and his mom, Josee:

“It doesn't happen really often, especially being in our environment, it's cool to see that as well. We've got a great group of guys and it reflects well on the moms. They're great people and we had a really good time the first night, all gelled together (at dinner). For my mom, she's loving it and having a blast. It's cool to see that. So many smiles on their faces, I think it lights up the room and everybody's happy, so we're excited for the first game.”

On the moms developing a quick friendship:

“It only takes one glass of wine and they get closer to each other. They're all here enjoying every moment of it and you can see, they're all taking it in. ... It was nice to get a few days to enjoy that and do some other things, chat with your mom, it's been great.”

Rasmus Andersson on having his mom, Maritha, on the road:

“My mom played a massive part - probably the biggest part (in helping me reach the NHL). My dad took a coaching job a few hours away, my brother moved away, so it was me, my mom and my sister for the longest time at home. That was right when I got called up to the pro team and that was a lot of driving for my mom, and she was always there every game. Been supportive of me my whole career, so to be able to have this trip with her means a lot.”

On the time spent together so far:

“It's been great, it's been a lot of fun. It's almost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them, so to be able to do it, it's a lot of fun. It's a little different vibe with all the moms, but it's great. You can tell they're enjoying themselves and it's been a great few days so far.

“It's nice to see the softer side in a lot of us.”

Kevin Rooney on making new memories with his mom, Dawn:

“This is the first one. My dad was fortunate to come a few years back with the Devils, so now we've got my mom and my dad. So, really grateful to have her here. She's really - along with all of us - the moms are kind of the unsung heroes of the family, so always there for me, whether it be a tough game and wanted to go home with mom instead of dad that night or... (laughs). Just supported me along the way, so I'm really grateful to have her (here).

“My mom was always there for me, no matter if it was a good game or a bad game. She always believed in me, too, every step of the way. It was never an easy journey for me to get to this point and to have her support, along with my dad and my brother, they're the reasons I'm here today. Super grateful that they allowed them to come on the trip and it's been a lot of fun.”

On the players showing a different side of themselves:

“Speaking of Ras, he's been a little quieter on this trip (laughs). It's been nice to see some of the guys' personalities shift a little bit with their mom around and what they're able to get away with. It's been a lot of fun. The other night, we had a lot of fun, a great dinner, and the moms have brought a lot of energy so far, so hopefully we can get them a couple wins.”

Head Coach Ryan Huska on the boost the moms have given the team:

“I think the energy is really good. I will say that I know from experience... This is my first moms trip that I've been around before. The energy is different from when the dads are on the road trip, for sure. But I know the players are excited to play in front of them, so I'm anticipating we come out with a really good effort tonight.”

On the task at hand tonight against the Ducks:

“We need to start. That's the most important thing. You look at our team and some of the things that have hurt us over the course of the season, I'm not going to necessarily say they're slow starts, but we haven't been able to find a way to finish early in the first period. So, finding a way to get on the board early and try to build on that, I think, is a really important thing for our team and it will enable us to try and get off to a great start to this trip.”