DETROIT — Getting to watch his son take part in his first NHL game was a dream come true for Cecil McMann, but getting to join his son Bobby for his first NHL road trip was a nice bonus, even if it meant getting over some anxiety. flying.
“They were worried about me making it on the fly,” Cecil said during the first intermission of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
Bobby McMann was called by the Maple Leafs earlier this week after the Toronto Marlies forward capped an exceptional stretch of games that included AHL Player of the Week honors for the period ending Jan. 8.
Bobby and Cecil spoke on Monday after the award but then the Marlies GM called Bobby to tell him he had been called up to the show. That’s when arrangements were made to get Cecil and Bobby’s mother Connie over from the small town of Wainwright, Alberta to Toronto to potentially see their son make his NHL debut.
Once Bobby’s NHL debut was confirmed, he had even greater news for Cecil. He was going to be tagging along for the team’s annual dads trip, brought back for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The only problem was Cecil only packed for a couple of nights.
“I might have to wash some underwear in the hotel room but I’ll make it work.”
Clothes and flight fear aside, the trip was worth it for both father and son.
“It’s great you get to show him everything,” Bobby said. “He gets to see it just how I’m experiencing it. The timing couldn’t have been better and I think he’s pumped to be here.”
Cecil nearly got to witness Bobby’s first NHL goal in person during the first period at Little Caesars Arena. Bobby scored a goal past Detroit Red Wings goaltender Ville Hudson, only to see it get called back for a distinct kicking motion.
“The boys were hugging me,” Cecil said. “They’re looking at the replay and saying we got ripped off. Whatever. It’s hockey. We’re happy.”
While the trip was organized by the Maple Leafs to celebrate the sacrifices that families make for their kids to play the game, Cecil refused to take any credit for what his son has accomplished.
“He’s done all this. He’s dragged his dad along. It’s not me,” Cecil said. “This kid is a good kid. I don’t want to brag about my son.”
It’s that same determination that forced Bobby to take an unconventional path to living out his dream of playing in the NHL. He knew that the odds were against him when he didn’t get drafted and his parents didn’t put any pressure on him by talking about the NHL.
“In his mind, he knew (he’d make it) but we don’t talk about it, Cecil said. “Because it’s not likely at 26.”
But as unlikely as it has been, McMann has fit in well in the two NHL games he has played. With a spot opening up for the 6’1″ speedy forward as Auston Matthews recovers from an undisclosed injury, McMann has seen regular minutes on the third line and is making a case for an extended run, regardless of when Matthews does return to the lineup. .
“He’s big, he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s first to the puck, that checks a lot of boxes,” Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Bobby. “It’s early, but I like what I’ve seen.”
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