Borowiecki Talks Meatloaf, Pride, Fatherhood, Love for Ottawa, Nashville

Mark Borowiecki couldn't wait for his mother's lasagna.
He was so excited that he even told members of the media what was on the dinner menu ahead of his return to Ottawa - his hometown and his first NHL city after spending nine seasons with the Senators - ahead of his inaugural trip back with the Nashville Predators originally scheduled for last November.
But then a COVID outbreak among the current Sens team during Nashville's trip through eastern Canada just two months into the season derailed that chance at the pan of Italian deliciousness, the Preds instead heading straight past Ottawa for Montreal instead.
All of a sudden, Borowiecki had four more months to wait for a journey back to the Canadian capital and a home-cooked meal. In fact, the veteran defenseman had so much time to ponder the dinner, he actually put in a different ask.

"There's this meatloaf my mom used to make for me as a kid that makes me very nostalgic and sentimental," Borowiecki reminisced on Episode 168 of the Preds Official Podcast. "That was the request I put in, and she happily obliged."
The meatloaf did the trick as Borowiecki and the Preds found victory in the rugged blueliner's homecoming, a night filled with memories and emotions from a life that has only recently shifted from Ontario to Tennessee.
With friends and family in attendance, the 32-year-old made it through the evening "without too many tears" in an experience he'll never forget.
"I loved it, and I enjoyed every minute of it, but I also found it very difficult - much more difficult than I had anticipated," Borowiecki said of the night. "I didn't just play in that organization for 10 years, but I grew up five minutes from that rink. That's my neighborhood, and that's a lot of memories for not just me, but for my wife, Tara, who also grew up in that area. So, it was definitely a very emotional day… But it was a special night all around, for sure."
The city of Ottawa still owns a good chunk of real estate in Borowiecki's heart, but ever since he signed a two-year deal with the Predators back in 2020 - and then re-upped earlier this season to remain in Nashville through the 2022-23 campaign - the Music City has found its way into the conversation.
In fact, Borowiecki, now a father of two, doesn't want to be anywhere else at this point in his career, and he reaffirmed that fact once more last week.
"From the off-ice side of things, my family is just very comfortable here," Borowiecki said. "Nashville is a great home. The community has made us feel very welcome, and there's a lot of really kind people here that really eased our transition. Our son Miles has a great little school he loves, he's making friends, some great parents there, and Tara and I just really enjoy the amenities of the city and the people here.
"Then from an on-ice perspective, anytime you're kind of a role player who plays the way that I do and does the job that I do, when you find an organization, management, coaching staff, teammates, kind of everyone top to bottom who appreciates what you do and respects what you do, there's no sense in going to look for anything else. Sometimes guys like me aren't valued the way they are here, so it really means a lot to me and I'm very grateful for that respect and that value placed on my role."
For as tough as Borowiecki is on the ice, he's equally - if not more so - kindhearted and generous off it, often doing whatever he can to better the city in which he plays and lives. Those community interactions have been limited in his time with the Preds due to the state of the world over the past two years, but he's gotten out and about a few times, including last summer when he helped to present a check to the Nashville LGBT Chamber.
Borowiecki has been outspoken on his support for the LGBTQ+ community over his career,
even penning a piece on NashvillePredators.com last summer
. Now, he's very much looking forward to Tuesday's annual Pride Night at Bridgestone Arena as the Preds face San Jose, and just as he has always done, Borowiecki will be working to make a positive impact in the lives of those around him.
"I just think my perspective on life really changed when I found Tara," Borowiecki said. "She's someone who completed me and being in a loving relationship was so fulfilling. I think as I get older, too, maybe I get a little more reflective and introspective, but I couldn't help but sit back and think why would you want to deny anyone this opportunity to be in a fulfilling, loving relationship based on sexual orientation? It just doesn't make sense to me. Everyone deserves that opportunity, and those are the values that Tara and I hold, the values that we're going to impress upon our children, and we're certainly proud to try to be allies in some small capacity."
Those children, 2-year-old Miles and newborn Leigh, have quite a father to look up to, and "dad life" is suiting Borowiecki just fine.
"It's been great, and Miles, he's been great with a little sister as he adjusts to being a big brother," Borowiecki said. "Every parent says their kids have a gentle soul, a kind soul, but he really is, and he seems to kind of relish being a big brother. He loves cars, and he'll line up his cars beside her and talk to her about his cars. He likes to give her kisses, too."
And as for the hockey team Miles now cheers for? Borowiecki says there's something special here in so many more ways than just one.
"Every hockey player likes to get out and say, 'Oh, the boys are so tight and it's a great group,' but I'm telling you, this is just an awesome group of guys," Borowiecki said. "They're just teammates who stick up for each other, and I don't just mean on the ice with fighting and hitting stuff like that, but they always have each other's backs when you're going through a tough time personally. Like, after the Ottawa] game, Ryan Johansen pulled me aside. I was pretty emotional after the game, and he talked to me for a couple minutes, and just the things he said, he had me in tears again. There are guys like that who are just really special and really just get that this game is more than just the on-ice stuff. It's our lives and our identities right now, and I think when you have a group that's tight-knit like that, that can kind of be an X-factor down the stretch here just because you want to play hard for each other."
To hear Borowiecki's full interview on Episode 168 of the Predators Official Podcast,
[click here
.