When it comes to NHL fathers trips, Jeff Schenn has the routine down pat, and it’s no big secret why.
As the wheels of the Nashville Predators team jet lifted off the runway on Wednesday, the father of veteran defenseman Luke Schenn and St. Louis Blues Captain Brayden Schenn sat back as his 20th such trip - and his second of the month - got underway.
So, does it ever get old? Can one go on too many dads trips, or fly on too many team planes?
Not a chance.
“I always look forward to it,” Jeff said. “Luke looks forward to it as much as I do, and as soon as he finds out, he’s letting you in on it.”
“These things never get old,” Luke said. “We’ve had quite a few of them over the years and you just don’t take them for granted. [Hes’] been our biggest fan throughout our whole careers and the way he supported us, to get the chance to do this with him, it’s memories that we don’t take for granted.”
The Schenns certainly have their share of dads trip memories.
In the 2015-16 season, Jeff joined Luke on two different trips to New York City with two different teams, after his son was traded from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Los Angeles Kings.
“That was crazy,” Jeff laughed. “Both boys were playing with the Flyers, which was a really cool experience, and then a couple of weeks later Luke was traded from Philadelphia to the Los Angeles Kings, and I met him two weeks later in New York again… It was good.”
While the exact record is difficult to pin down, the senior Schenn’s 20 trips likely put him high atop the list of NHL fathers trip leaders, and almost certainly in first place among Nashville’s current dads roster.
20 trips or zero, Jeff will also always get bragging rights for the three Stanley Cups his sons have won - two for Luke and one for Brayden - during their storied careers.
“It’s awesome,” Jeff said. “You can’t write it any better to have a long career and to achieve your goal of winning the Stanley Cup is really good. And seeing that they still love the game, that’s the coolest part to me.”
Seeing that passion for the game and the success that has come with it has no doubt inspired some of the Predators newest fathers, including Andrew Evangelista, who joined the team for his NHL fathers trip debut on Wednesday.
“Their confidence gives you confidence that this could be your path too, for your son,” Evangelista said. “Those guys have won cups, right? The ultimate pinnacle. To get here is one thing, but to achieve that level too, that’s legendary. And it gives us all hope.”
Evangelista has plenty to feel confident in from his son, Luke.
Now in his first full season with the Predators, the 21-year-old Evangelista is currently tied for fifth among all NHL rookies in points (16) and assists (12), with his name appearing regularly alongside the likes of Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson.
Of course, that comes as little surprise to Luke’s dad.
“He just always had it,” Andrew said. “People couldn’t see it with him, because he wasn’t the biggest kid. But he thought the game all the time. And that's the difference with Luke. He always thought the game, he always loved the game… He just gets it, and he always has. And for someone whose play was never any good, like me, it's just a God-given talent.”
Though Andrew Evangelista wouldn’t give himself any credit for Luke’s hockey IQ, his abilities with the puck or creating plays, Luke made sure to give dad his due after Thursday’s morning skate.
“Growing up he would always tell me that there's always going to be more hockey,” Luke said. “I’d get really down on myself, maybe if I had a bad game or if we lost, but he used to just say, ‘Lukey, there's always more hockey, so just look on the next one and have a quick memory.’ That's still a piece [of advice] that I take with me today.”
While Evangelista has no doubt returned to the mantra once or twice during his fledgling 55-game NHL career, his father has been proud of him throughout each and every one of them.
“There’s a lot of joy we feel, to be honest,” Andrew said. “Luke loves what he does and he’s got the opportunity to do it every day. So we’re proud, but we’re also just very happy for him.”
Before the Predators take on the Flyers Thursday, Evangelista, like all his teammates, is just happy to bring one of the most important figures in his life along for the ride.
“It's really special,” he said. “If you told us that we'd be doing this 20 years ago, I don't think we’d believe it. It's just really special for both of us, and I wouldn't be in this position without him. So, it's good that we can share this one this week.”
