Capitals rookie goalie Braden Holtby has had plenty on his mind this month. On top of helping his team to a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday night in New York, he and fiancée Brandi Bodnar were also awaiting the arrival of their son, Benjamin Hunter Holtby. The baby boy was born on Thursday.
“It was planned so it would be the least amount of a distraction to our team as possible,” Holtby said. “It was a great day. Mom and baby are doing great. But now I’m focusing on hockey.”
That will be a little easier with mom and baby Benjamin doing well. A relieved Holtby, 22, became the fourth Washington player to welcome a new child this season, including Matt Hendricks (twin boy and girl), Jeff Halpern and Keith Aucoin.
“It’s kind of been the worst kept secret and the biggest secret at the same time,” winger Mike Knuble said. “Guys aren’t worried even though it can be a big distraction, and it is. It is a distraction, there’s no denying that and it’s a big time in his life and I’m sure it will always be memorable and now even more so.”
Holtby has performed well all playoffs, a steady presence in goal who has made a few spectacular saves, but by and large just prevented the soft goal and let his teammates do the dirty work around the net. He is 7-6 with a .935 save percentage. Not sure even with the adrenaline kick of a new child he can play much better.
“It’s fun. I had a kid. I played my best hockey after I had my kid,” teammate Jason Chimera said. “I think it maybe relaxes him even more. I think it’s one of those things that just puts a whole lot of things into perspective and hockey’s not the be-all, end-all. I think it’s a good thing. When I had my kids I think I started playing better as a person and better as a hockey player.”
Aucoin noted that the players, and especially their wives and girlfriends, were a big help when his son, Brayden, was born in March. With the Caps on the road so much towards the end of the regular season it was a big help to have that support system in place to go along with friends and family. Now, Holtby just hopes he needs to use it for a while longer. It will take a win in Game 7 to extend the season and make that happen. Either way, the calm and collected Holtby admitted that he was more nervous on Thursday than he could possibly be on Saturday night as he takes the ice.
“Circumstances are different, but it’s still the same game,” Holtby said. “It’s still hockey. The main thing you learn when you turn professional is to separate personal life from hockey, and that’s what we’re gonna do here.”
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