Jimmy Roy has come up with a novel concept, one that has nothing to do with getting under the skin of an opponent.
The veteran Manitoba Moose forward believes it is time for Mother’s Day to become a weekend or even week-long celebration.
“Mothers are really underrated, I’ve watched what my wife has done with our little girl,” said Roy. “It’s more than a full-time job and you don’t get much credit for it. It’s a good holiday for them and it’s well-deserved. It should probably be more than one day a year.”
Thanks to the birth of daughter Brooklyn, Mother’s Day took on even more significance last year. Roy’s wife Laura can expect some pampering today.
“My wife likes breakfast in bed and to relax, that’s what I’m going to do for her this year,” said Roy, who moved away from his home in Sioux Lookout, Ont., at the age of 14 to pursue the dream of a hockey career. “Whether I was in school or playing hockey, it’s always been a phone call (to mother Nancy). You try to send flowers and thank her for everything she has done. She’s the greatest.”
Winnipegger Lee Goren thinks it has been a decade since he spent Mother’s Day at home and he’s looking forward to spending some time after today’s practice with his mother Betty.
“It’s probably been 10 years,” said Goren, who has the rare distinction of being involved in a playoff series and still being able to spend part of the day with his family. “It will be nice. Whether you’re playing or not playing, it’s always nice to see your mom on Mother’s Day and let her know how much she is appreciated. It’s good to be around.”
Moose general manager Craig Heisinger says he’d like his four children to give mother Vickie a break from the usual mayhem and be on their best behavior today but he’s not holding his breath.
“The proof will be in the pudding,” said Heisinger, who also supports Roy’s call for a longer celebration period honoring moms. “There’s probably some accuracy to that, especially in our house. You’d might finally get your just dessert if you had a week. There’s no way in our case that the four of them could be good for a week, so we’ll try to squeeze it into one day.”
Yesterday, Moose goalie Wade Flaherty was putting the finishing touches on his gift for wife Carmie, who is back home with the couple’s two children in B.C.
“With a school project, my daughter has made her a pottery cup and my little guy has made a picture frame and there’s going to be a family photo in it,” said Flaherty. “That will be pretty cool. I’ll send flowers and get on the phone. It’s frustrating not being home for days like these, but it’s all I can do. It’s a tough situation (being apart) but that’s what it’s all about. Hockey wives are special because they put up with so much.”
This story appeared in Sunday’s editions of the Winnipeg Sun.
