Family inspiration
A young nephew with Down syndrome gives Admirals player Frederick Gaudreau an assist in life.
Frederick Gaudreau’s parents prepared him to handle the uncertainty of pro sports – of life, really – and all of the greed and egos and setbacks that come with it.
A toddler merely reminds him of those lessons.
The Milwaukee Admirals forward understands he is fortunate to be able to make a living playing a game that is his passion and realizes the true richness in his life comes not from an NHL paycheck but from the people who surround him.
“For sure when we learned my sister’s son had Down syndrome it was a shock because we didn’t really know about it,” Gaudreau said.
“But it ended up being the biggest blessing for my sister, her boyfriend and all of our family just because the way they live their life is all about love. It’s no ego. It’s the present moment. It’s everything I’m trying to be, you know?”
These words are spoken by a man
who makes his living in a game that can be brutal, both physically and mentally.
A darling of the hockey world in 2017, when he scored his first three NHL goals in the Stanley Cup Final for the Nashville Predators, Gaudreau hasn’t been able to recapture that lightning in a bottle. In fact, a promotion last season was really a setback. Then injuries put him behind further as he worked to regain his confidence.
Nearly a half hour after practice has ended, the skttttch-sktttch-sktttch of skates and the fwwack! of slapshots no longer echo in the corners of the UWMilwaukee Panther Arena. The 26-yearold from Bromont, Quebec, one of the last to leave the ice, sits on the Admirals bench, still sweating from the workout and then the countless shots he took and passes he fed teammates after coach Karl Taylor last blew his whistle. Gaudreau smiles. That was fun. “I didn’t start playing hockey for anything but the fact that I love it,” he said. “I love to shoot pucks, I love to make plays, I love to compete. I just believe that the mindset is all about that.
“I believe in the process, I believe in enjoying every day, enjoying just playing hockey.”
Being in the NHL wasn’t all that enjoyable for Gaudreau last year.
To get to the show is a part of every hockey player’s dreams, but in Milwaukee he was used to playing upwards of 20 minutes a night and being among to team’s top scorers. With the Predators, the Admirals’ parent club, he averaged one-third the ice time and finished the season with three goals.
“It’s not easy not to play a lot,” Gaudreau
said. “It’s kind of hard to keep the rhythm, keep the confidence.
“You don’t touch the puck as much, you’re not put in a good situation as much, all that. A game here and there is no big deal, but when it’s a full year, I personally think it takes time to get that groove back, get that confidence back. That’s what I’m working on doing this year.”
Gaudreau doesn’t dwell on statistics. Play the game right, strive to improve and the numbers will take care of themselves; that’s his approach. But Gaudreau’s stats for 2018-19 in Nashville were painful. It was no surprise when the organization sent him to Milwaukee in September.
But it was also no heartbreak. Gaudreau
had been through demotion before, and that came at the start of 201718, just months after his coming out party in the NHL playoffs.
“Freddy, first and foremost, he’s a great individual, an outstanding teammate, a very low-maintenance player,” Taylor said.
“Sometimes it takes players a while to recover from the shock and from being back at a level they thought they moved on from. But he’s accepted it, he’s digging in, he’s invested in Milwaukee.”
Although Gaudreau initially was slowed by a groin pull and then a broken finger that required surgery, he is starting to see the rewards of his hard work in the box scores.
Heading into a game between the American Hockey League-leading Admirals (33-9-4-2) and Texas Stars (2121-2-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at the Arena, Gaudreau has 10 goals and 12 assists in 26 games, a pace comparable to his best seasons. He has had a pair of two-goal games in his past six appearances, and he has a plus/minus rating of plusthree.
Gaudreau’s future is unclear. He will be a free agent after this season, and his first real shot with Nashville didn’t pan out as well as anyone hoped.
“He’s a skilled player here who’s got great hands and great vision, and that doesn’t mean that Nashville doesn’t need that, but he was used in a different role,” Taylor said. “That’s how it goes.
“No one can predict the future, but he’s definitely a guy who’s pushing for an opportunity at the NHL level and if I’m any NHL team, including Nashville, I’m keeping a close eye on him.”
Gaudreau would like to make an impact on the ice wherever he is, whether it’s back with Nashville, in Milwaukee or elsewhere.
He’d also like to make an impact on the community.
After attending the Best Buddies Gala in Nashville last year, Gaudreau hopes to become more involved in the worldwide volunteer organization, which fosters friendships and develops opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as his nephew.
For him, it’s a matter of returning a favor.
“The perspective of how all these people live their life, how they feel about life, how they see life, it’s magical and it’s pure,” Gaudreau said.
“For sure he’s an inspiration for us, and he doesn’t even know yet because he’s so young.”