'Typical of Mitchie to Forget His Phone': What the Maple Leafs are Learning about Each Other on the Dads Trip

Last season, the fathers' trip was limited to players but this time around the event expanded to staff members. The dads (and in some cases siblings or mentors) of the club's extended staff are also on this trip. From public relations staff to celebrity businessman Jim Treliving of Dragon's Den fame, the father of Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving, it's quite a unique group. One that also includes longtime Maple Leaf Tie Domi, father of Max.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe's father, Brian, is also on the trip.

"Our fathers are so important to our journey," Sheldon said. "In my case an NHL coach they're all part of that journey and they're our biggest fans and biggest supporters."

Sheldon said his father coached him in both hockey and soccer as a young kid and there are traits he inherited.

"He yelled a lot," Sheldon said with a smile. "He was very loud and aggressive, just no nonsense."

Matthews Knies' father Miroslav is taking part in his first dads' trip and is taking in a lot of stuff he just didn't know about what takes place behind the scenes.

"He’s pretty in shock in terms of how well we get treated and the daily doses the NHL gives you," Knies said. "How much you skate. How much you have to prepare."

Any kid who plays hockey always wants to have a big performance in front of their family whenever they can make it. Tavares is just two points away from hitting 1,000 points for his NHL career. Certainly having a big game against a team that passionately boos you is one thing, but if he can do it in front of his father, Joe, that holds more meaning for the Maple Leafs captain, whose father didn't have a lot of free time to attend his games as a kid growing up.

"My mom took me to most of my hockey growing up," Tavares said. "It still has that same feeling for me on a trip like this."

Joe Tavares was a welder and steel decker, working to hours required to help John pay for his hockey registration and equipment. The captain always walks around with his backpack, just as his father Joe has done on this trip.

The Maple Leafs captain is two points away from reaching 1,000 points in his NHL career. He doesn't like talking about personal accomplishments, reminding the media assembled here at UBS Arena that he still hasn't accomplished the feat yet.

But there is a growing sense of how special that milestone would be for the player given that it represents the habits he put forth to be a reliable and productive player throughout his NHL journey.

"It just speaks to his consistency," Keefe said. "It just speaks to how consistent he's been in his career."

Tavares walks around carrying a backpack everywhere he goes. His father, Joe, does so just the same.

Although this is the captain's 15th dads' trip, they'll always hold the same meaning.

"It's still really special for me, even though I’ve been through a lot of them," John said. "You never take them for granted."