Growing up in Apple Valley, Minnesota, New York Islanders forward Hudson Fasching and his family rooted for the Minnesota Wild.
From 2007 to 2013, his father, Rick, enjoyed watching a specific member of the hometown team: Cal Clutterbuck.
Flash forward 10 years after Clutterbuck's departure from Minnesota and arrival on Long Island, Rick got to see his son Hudson become teammates with No. 15.
Ironically, Fasching got his chance with the NHL squad after beginning the 2022-23 season in Bridgeport after Clutterbuck sustained an injury.
"We were talking about the other day," Fasching told me before a game against the Montreal Canadiens, in which he'd be skating with Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin again. "I just remember [Clutterbuck] running around when he was young, and he was trying to hit anything that would move at that point. I remember my dad loved watching him play. He was blowing guys up back when that was a little bit more acceptable. I watched him growing up and stuff, and I knew he was a tough guy, so I was making sure to tread carefully around him when I first got here and try to treat him with the most respect. But once you get to know him, he's nicer than he looks. Let's put it that way. He's not as tough and mean as sometimes the persona appeals. He's a really good guy and has been a really good teammate to me since I've been here.”
I asked Fasching how special it was that, with Clutterbuck no longer on the team, he was skating in his spot more often.
“That was such an iconic line. I mean, they played like — it's like a ridiculous number, like 700 or 800 games together or something, which is just crazy," Fasching said. "So, yeah, to be a part of that line…I mean, for me, there's no way I'm ever going to be able to fill those shoes. So it's just going to be fun to be a part of it, enjoy it, and bring my own energy to the line and have fun with it. They're great guys, and they're really fun to play with.”
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