When Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook woke up on the morning of December 30, 2009, he was hoping to have a message from Team Canada that he had made the men’s ice hockey Olympic team. But no one had called yet.
Seabrook tells Lori Henry: “I set my alarm for 10:00 and I looked over and there was no phone call. So, I was sort of trying to wake up and the phone rang. It was from a number I didn’t remember or didn’t have saved in my phone.
“Then I got real nervous and answered it and it was Kevin Lowe. I didn’t really know what to say. He introduced himself as Kevin Lowe and I just repeated what he said, his whole first and last name,” he laughs. “It was pretty nerve wracking but obviously nice to get the call.”
Vancouver 2010 Olympics Games
The community of Tsawwassen, located just south of Vancouver, celebrated when Seabrook was named to Team Canada. Their local hockey player would be coming home for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games to compete with the best athletes in the world for a gold medal.
Team Canada Teammates
And it’s just as exciting for him. Brent Seabrook mentions a few of the guys who he’s excited to play with and see again. “[Ryan] Getzlaf, Sid[ney Crosby], [Mike] Richards, [Shea] Weber, I was teammates with all those guys. We won a world junior gold medal and it’s going to be pretty fun… [Patrice] Bergeron. There’s a great group on that team, so it’s going to be a lot of fun being out there with them and getting back to being teammates again.”
Olympics Tickets for Family and Friends?
As much as this season is about playing his best hockey for the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s safe to assume the Olympics are always looming in the back of his mind. So will going home to Vancouver be a big party for friends and family?
“I’m actually there this week [when the Blackhawks lost to the Canucks 5-1], so I’ll do that stuff then and the Olympics will just be for hockey.” And in terms of those coveted men’s ice hockey tickets, “You can only get a certain amount and that’s all I’m getting.”
Chicago Blackhawks Defensemen
Probably the biggest comfort to Brent Seabrook is the fact that his regular defensive partner with the Chicago Blackhawks, Duncan Keith, will also be playing on Team Canada, likely joining forces with him on the blueline. So with the hometown crowd, the excitement of his first Olympic tournament, and his regular defensive partner beside him, will Brent Seabrook be pumped come mid-February? You can bet on it.
Lori Henry - A travel writer, Lori flits between exploring the world with incessant curiosity and huddling over her laptop writing.
Join the Conversation