From Father to Son at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey

By Lucas Aykroyd

How many of today’s international hockey stars tied their own skates, taught themselves how to shoot and pass, and drove themselves to games when they were kids? The answer is obvious, and that’s why players typically thank their parents for supporting them en route to the big time.

In many cases, a special bond exists between fathers and sons who attain the elite levels of hockey. For instance, more than 70 father-son combos have played in the NHL, and undoubtedly genetics, teaching skills, and motivational talks all played big roles in these success stories.

But all must learn to separate the personal from the professional. “When we’re at practice or playing games, he’s only a coach and I’m only a player,” said Ottawa ace Marian Hossa of his father Frantisek, who coached the Slovak national team at the 2003 and 2004 IIHF World Championships.

In Europe, the local sport club system enables young players to grow up with the same group of teammates, sometimes even being coached by their fathers right into manhood. In North America, paternal support often comes from afar after the teen years, when players move away to pursue junior careers.

Yet in the new world hockey order, such distinctions are beginning to blur. Take Radek Bonk. Trained rigorously by his father Jaroslav, the gifted Czech forward moved to North America with his parents at age 17 to start playing pro hockey.

Let’s check out three other examples of players expected to star in the 2004 World Cup whose fathers had a major impact.

PETER FORSBERG

The man they call “Foppa” is frequently dubbed the world’s best hockey player, and recently the 2003 Hart Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion has been the NHL’s highest-paid superstar. You might assume his father, Kent Forsberg, would gladly brag about training his son.

Instead, the elder Forsberg is quite self-deprecating, like most of the 60,000 citizens of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden–even though his impressive hockey coaching resume includes a 1998 IIHF World Championship gold.

“Peter’s puckhandling and his ability to see the ice were the keys when he was young,” said Kent, who gives partial credit to the solid coaching Peter received from Ornskoldsvik’s MoDo Hockey club when the 1973-born prodigy joined up at age six.

Kent, who recently returned as head coach with MoDo’s senior team, worked there with Peter from age 13 onward. Even before that, he encouraged a healthy rivalry between Peter and his older brother Roger: “When I’d come home to pick up Roger for the hockey school, Peter would say: ‘I must go there. Roger’s there, so I must begin too.'”

Kent is known as an intense competitor, but Peter took his father’s fiery spirit to another level. “Even when he played chess or table tennis, he always wanted to win or he’d be in a bad mood,” said Kent. “When he was young, he played on a junior team that won almost every game. But when they started to lose, they would play more physical.” That spilled over into Forsberg’s trademark robust game with the Colorado Avalanche.

The senior Forsberg acknowledges his son could have played better in the 1996 World Cup, and he knows Peter will be hungry for redemption this time around. “If he gets lots of goals or assists but the team loses, he doesn’t value it,” said Kent. “He has such a desire to win.”

TOMAS KABERLE

After leaving the Czech Republic, Tomas took the fast route to becoming an NHL defenseman compared to his older brother. He cracked the Toronto Maple Leafs at age 21 and has showcased his offensive skills with 224 career NHL points. Frantisek, nearly five years older than Tomas, logged four seasons with Sweden’s MoDo before landing steady work with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Both Kaberles can credit their father, Frantisek Sr., with giving them a truly global hockey perspective.

Growing up in the Czech village of Velka Dobra, the boys took their first steps on skates on an outdoor patch of ice under their father’s supervision. In 1982 Frantisek Sr., whose background included 104 Czech national team games, accepted a two-year offer to play in Japan, and Frantisek and Tomas got to skate on the rink after the Niko club’s practices.

The Kaberles got yet another taste of international hockey when the family moved to Duisburg, West Germany, where Frantisek Sr. served as a playing coach for two seasons. Then the family went home and the brothers both emerged as Czech Extraleague stars.

For the 2004 World Cup, Tomas might want to seek more advice from their father, who played in the inaugural Canada Cup in 1976. Frantisek, unfortunately, will miss the tourney due to a groin injury.

MARTIN BRODEUR

When the much-heralded New Jersey Devils goalie helped Canada capture its first gold medal since 1952 at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the Montreal native was following in his father’s Olympic footsteps.

Denis Brodeur won a bronze medal as Canada’s netminder in the 1956 Cortina Olympics, but later became better known as the official photographer for the Montreal Canadiens.

“As an athlete, you want to be part of great things for your country, but you’ve also got the motivation of family,” Martin Brodeur said after beating the USA 5-2 on February 24, 2002. He wore a mask with “Cortina” on one side and “Salt Lake City” on the other.

It was the first time in history a father-son goalie combo had earned Olympic medals. And in the 2004 World Cup, we can expect the father-son hockey tradition to be maintained with similar distinction.