With three sons in the NHL, Henry Staal estimated the current jaunt was between the 15th and 20th time he's been on a father-son trip. But after years of making these trips with the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers, this is his first time doing it with the Wild.
"It's always a blast," Henry said. "That's what I enjoy most about fathers trips is meeting the fathers and meeting the players in a different light than sometimes you see on the ice. Whatever team it is, the stories are always great. It's been a lot of fun."
Among the major differences between the first Cullen-Staal fathers trip and the current one is the dinner conversation. Staal was a fresh-faced youngster in the League back then, while Cullen was approaching 30. Now, the chats surround the grandkids and the hockey they're playing.
Terry, the longtime head coach of the boys hockey team at Moorhead High School, said he's been on between eight and 10 dads trips over the years, including a couple with the Wild from when Matt played in Minnesota the first time.
But after four years of Matt playing elsewhere, Wednesday night's group dinner meant plenty of new faces to meet and greet.
"The first thing I noticed was that we have quite the different crew," Terry said. "We're all so blessed and fortunate to be here and have our kids play at that level. A lot of similar stories; we're all smart enough to realize how fortunate and how lucky we are]."
For Terry, one of the more enjoyable parts of the trips are the invites into the meeting rooms for the chalk talks and some insight into what the team is doing.
As an old coach, the itch never really goes away.
"I absolutely love that part," Terry said. "I don't think that part ever leaves you as you watch the game. It's cool."
Those sessions also serve as important learning tools for new coaches, too. Andy Boudreau, on the trip as the guest of his dad, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau, is getting started with his own coaching career in Banff, Alberta as the player development coach and Junior B team assistant at Banff Hockey Academy.
While the rare time away from the rink with his dad is enjoyable, Andy said he's already stealing drills and other instructionals he can use in his own career.
"Everything from even how his game card looks, the notes that he takes and things that he looks for in between games, when he talks to [Wild video coach] Jonas [Plumb] cuts up video," Andy said. "The attention to detail is something I try to take from him as well. It's a unique perspective."
Wild defenseman Mike Reilly brought his dad, Michael, with him on his first mentor's trip.
Mike said as soon as his dad found out about the trip, he was excited to get here. As a first-timer, Mike said he warned his father about sharing too many detailed stories, which for so many of the dads on the trip is a staple.
"You get to hear some stories about some different guys and learn some stuff you might not know," Mike said. "I told my dad he's gotta calm it down a little bit and not say too much; sometimes, he's the life of the party."
Regardless of whether it's their first mentors trip or -- like Matt Cullen -- potentially the last, it offers all an opportunity to reflect on their lives in hockey and how the game has brought them closer.
"My dad has been on a lot of them and when you see him, the experience hasn't faded or the experience hasn't lost anything because he's done it a lot," Matt Cullen said. "It's a good reminder for all of us as players to remind us of how fortunate we are to be in the NHL. Our dads grew up loving the game, and whether they played or coached or just watched, they got us into it as young kids.
"To see the excitement on [the dad's faces] and to see it on my dad's face after doing so many father's trips, it's just a reminder of how special it is and how lucky we are to all be here."
Related items:
- [Thursday's practice report
- Watch: Boudreau provides updates on Dubnyk, Parise
- Watch: Fathers, mentors join team in Florida
