IceCaps super fan rockets toward sweet reunion

‘A HUG AND A HIGH FIVE’

STU COWAN MONTREAL • When the IceCaps left St. John’s after last season it left a big hole in the fabric of the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador.

It also broke Andrew Abbott’s heart.

Abbott, a 27-year-old who has Down syndrome and is on the autism spectrum, was the IceCaps’ biggest fan and became known as their “seventh player” after first hooking up with the American Hockey League team for the 2011-12 season when they were the Winnipeg Jets’ farm club. The IceCaps became the Canadiens’ farm team for the last two seasons before the club moved to Laval, Que., this season to become the Rocket.

Andrew’s father, Jim, said that intellectually his son is more like a five-year-old, but Andrew made huge improvements in his social behaviour, speech and cognitive abilities by being around the IceCaps. He would sit in on meetings with the coaching staff, help out in the locker room and sit on the bench during pre-game warmups wearing his No. 11 IceCaps jersey. Andrew’s advancements were recognized when he received a Duke of Edinburgh Award, presented to people age 14-24 for completing a series of self-improvement exercises.

The IceCaps players loved Andrew and the ones who are with the Rocket will get to see him again this weekend.

Andrew and his parents flew from St. John’s to Montreal late Thursday to take in the Rocket games Friday night and Saturday afternoon against the Utica Comets at Place Bell. Andrew will help out in the locker room and be on the bench for the pre-game warmups.

“He’s really looking forward to seeing his buddies and going into the room and giving everybody a hug and a high five,” Jim Abbott said in a phone interview Thursday. “He just loves all those guys.”

When Canadiens goalie Charlie Lindgren — who played for the IceCaps last season — was told after practice Friday that Andrew was coming to town he smiled and said: “Awesome!”

“Andrew and Jim are both incredible,” said Lindgren, who was sent down to Laval after practice with the return of Carey Price. “They were in the locker-room a lot. Whenever they were in the room it was always such a fun time. Andrew meant so much for the team. We’d come out for warmups and he’d be on the bench with a helmet on and a jersey and gloves. He just loved being around the guys. The team obviously meant a lot to him, so I think it was really hard for the family when the team left.”

Now Lindgren and Andrew will be reunited in Laval this weekend.

Andrew and his father have been following the Rocket closely on AHL Live and have also enjoyed watching former IceCaps Lindgren and Charles Hudon play with the Canadiens on TV.

St. John’s no longer has a hockey team and the IceCaps have been replaced by the EDGE, an expansion club in the National Basketball League of Canada. The EDGE reached out to Andrew to have him fill a similar role with their team.

“It’s a tremendous loss,” Jim said about the IceCaps leaving St. John’s. “It was an amazing organization to have there. A big loss.”

That’s what’s going to make this weekend in Laval so special for Andrew.

“I can’t wait to see the look on his face when we get in the room and he sees all the guys,” his father said.