What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas for moms

LAS VEGAS What do you do when you’re in Las Vegas and you want to keep the party going?

And what happens when you want to keep the party going and there are 29 of you?

Get a limousine, of course. But first ...

“There was this bar in the middle of (the hotel), and we had some shots,” said Jane Gaudreau, casually describing their first night on the town. “And then we really wanted a picture, and we wanted all the moms to stay together, so this nice guy took our picture. Then we went over to MGM to find a lounge where we could just talk.

“And then we decided we wanted to go to the Bellagio, but we realized it was a bit far. And there wasn’t going to be a cab that would fit all of us ... ”

So the obvious choice of transportation in Sin City?

“I thought, ‘The limo driver probably thinks this is the oldest bachelorette party ever, because, you know ... we weren’t your typical ...,” Gaudreau said with a chuckle.

Welcome to the inaugural 2018 Calgary Flames Moms’ Trip.

The question surrounding the visiting team playing the Vegas Golden Knights usually centres around the so-called Vegas Flu, the consequence of enjoying the city ’s nightlife a little too much on the eve of the game.

However, with the players’ moms — and mamas of the coaching staff, management and support staff — along for the ride, the trip got off to an ... ahem ... extremely different start.

After going for a team dinner Tuesday night and watching the Cirque du Soleil show, the moms and their sons went their separate ways.

Well ... kind of. Gaudreau and son Johnny left the auditorium to meet the rest of the Flames and their moms. But Jane needed to stop at the ladies room.

“John said to me, ‘Mom, I’ll wait right here for you,’ ” she said. “After I was done, I saw Mark (Giordano) and thought, ‘Oh, I better go say hi.’ And I kind of forgot about John — this trip is about me. I started talking to the other moms, and then Sean (Monahan) said, ‘Where’s John?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. I hope he’s not still waiting over (at the ladies room) for me.’ ”

Like a good son, Gaudreau, the Calgary Flames leading scorer, was waiting for his mom.

The shenanigans continued with the ladies taking off. Meanwhile, their sons headed back to the hotel. Wednesday, of course, was a game day and the opponent was one of the best teams in the NHL — the Golden Knights.

This trip is designed to treat the players’ mothers to an unforgettable experience. With pride, the entire group of 29 ladies gladly showed up at Wednesday’s morning skate to watch their sons take to the ice at T-Mobile Arena.

They also were invited into the dressing room where Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan played a special video, featuring a collection of photos of their boys and their moms.

They watched Wednesday’s game from a suite and hopped on the charter with the players postgame as they took off for Phoenix, Ariz., to prepare for the second half of back-to-back games.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, Gulutzan reminded his players of what — and whom — they would be playing for on Wednesday in Vegas.

“I think a lot of the guys really feel good that they have the opportunity to give their moms this sneak peek into their lives,” Gulutzan said.

“... They’re really proud to have their moms here and see what they do and to share that with them.”