The Edmonton Oilers' dad trip started in Chicago yesterday and wraps up tonight in Nashville. It's one of those NHL traditions that doesn't get enough attention from the outside, but for the players and their fathers, it's special in a way that's hard to put into words.
These guys have been away from home since they were teenagers. They've been grinding through junior hockey, the minors, bouncing between cities, chasing the dream of playing in the NHL. Their dads have been there the whole time—driving them to early morning practices, sitting in cold arenas, sacrificing weekends and finances to give their sons a chance. But once these players make it to the NHL, that day-to-day involvement ends. The dads go home. The players move on to professional lives their fathers can only watch from a distance.
The dad trip gives them a chance to share that life, even if just for a few days.
Connor Ingram talked about what it meant to have his dad on the trip after his performance in Chicago.
"I've been away from home since I was 16, so it's been 12 years since my dad drove me to hockey, and it's cool to have him around and ride the bus with them," Ingram said. "They see a lot from the outside, but it's really eye-opening for them, I think, to see what our day-to-day looks like and to see what this life looks like. So it's fun to share it with them, and it's fun to just have them around."
That's the thing about the NHL life—from the outside, it looks glamorous. Travel, five-star hotels, playing a game for a living. But the reality is different. It's early wake-ups, long flights, time away from family, constant pressure to perform. The dads get to see that up close. They ride the team bus, sit through meetings, watch morning skates, experience the routine that defines their sons' lives for eight months a year.
For some of these fathers, it's the first time they've really understood what their sons go through. The travel fatigue. The mental grind of back-to-back games. The professionalism required even when you're exhausted. It's eye-opening, just like Ingram said.
But it's also a bonding experience. These players don't get a lot of time with their families during the season. They're constantly on the move, always focused on the next game, the next opponent, the next road trip. Having their dads with them for a few days, sharing meals, talking on the bus, just being together—it's something they don't get often.
Leon Draisaitl has talked in the past about how much his father influenced his career. Peter Draisaitl played professional hockey in Germany and passed down everything he learned to his son. Leon grew up around the game, watching his dad, learning from him. Now he's the one playing at the highest level, and his dad gets to be there for a few days to see what that life looks like from the inside.
For players like Draisaitl who had fathers involved in hockey, the dad trip is a full-circle moment. Their dads know what professional hockey demands. They've lived it. Seeing their sons succeed at the NHL level is validation of all those years of work and sacrifice.
For players whose dads weren't hockey players, it's a different kind of special. These fathers invested just as much—time, money, emotional energy—without fully understanding the world their sons were entering. The dad trip gives them that understanding. They get to see what their sons became, what their sacrifices helped create.
The Oilers won in Chicago with the dads watching. Ingram put on a show. McDavid extended his point streak. The whole team seemed energized by having their fathers around. There's something about performing well in front of your dad that hits different, even at the NHL level.
Tonight in Nashville, the trip wraps up. One more game with the dads there. One more chance to share this life with the people who helped make it possible. Then the fathers go home, and the players get back to the grind.
But for these few days, they got to be together. They got to share the NHL experience in a way that doesn't happen during the regular routine. The dads got to see what their sons' lives really look like. The players got to show their fathers what they've built.
That's what makes the dad trip special. It's not just about winning games or having fun on the road. It's about gratitude. It's about sharing something meaningful with the people who sacrificed so much to help you get here. It's a reminder that behind every NHL player is a family that believed in them long before anyone else did.
Two games, a lifetime of moments. That's the dad trip.
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