Strudwick and Eberle Played Together In Edmonton
Above Photo: Jordan Eberle (7), Kraken teammates and coaches watch video messages to Eberle on the Climate Pledge Arena video boards.
Standing out as part of a tribute video, especially in a positive way, is remarkably hard.
During the Thursday ceremony honoring Jordan Eberle for having played 1,000 NHL games, just such a video was played on the Climate Pledge Arena scoreboards.
Current and former teammates, other NHL stars, and Eberle's loved ones each had a few seconds to speak. They all did fine. But none caught our eye like Jason Strudwick, himself a veteran of 674 NHL games. Some of those came alongside Eberle while both played for the Edmonton Oilers.
Subtly, without drawing attention to it, Strudwick spoke his recorded piece while... knitting. If this was a put-on, good for Strudwick injecting personality into the life of a retired player.
Turns out, it's not a put-on. Strudwick explained on the Fanduel Overdrive podcast that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his mother and grandmother.
"I wanted to do some self-improvement. I decided I was going to take up knitting. I've been knitting a scarf for 20 minutes a day. It's actually pretty nice; I don't know if it's wearable.
"You really get in a rhythm. I'll have a game on and be knitting my life away. I don't want to brag, but I'm up to about 16 stitches every three minutes."
I have no idea if that's fast or slow or in fact what it means. I do know it's awesome that a former NHL player, now broadcaster, has decided not to be concerned with outdated societal norms.
It means just a little bit more when the knitter in question is a 6-foot-4, 226 pounds in his playing days, not-afraid-to-go-in-the-corners, nickname "Stud-wick" pro defenseman.
"I'm wheeling and dealing on my pink needles," Strudwick told the show hosts.
Look for yourself.