As a hockey dad, I want my son to learn the game, respect his coaches and understand the importance of playing as a team. But more than anything, I want him to love being on the ice.
I want him to be creative. I want him to trust his instincts. I want him to see an opening and have the confidence to take it.
Hockey is dominated by systems. There are positions to play, responsibilities to learn and coaches to listen to. All of that matters. But along the way, I realized I didn't want my son to become so worried about doing everything "right" that he stopped trying to do the things that made the game fun in the first place.
That's where one piece of advice started showing up before games:
Dangle First.
That became more than something I said before a game. It became an attitude. Because sometimes you've got to trust what you see, take a chance and figure out the rest afterward.
Play the game. Be creative. Take a chance. Figure the rest out later.
And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that attitude wasn't just about hockey. It's something I want my kids to carry with them long after they're done playing.
Have enough confidence to try something. Chase your dreams and do what you love. Be willing to make a mistake. Learn from it. Get back out there.
And eventually, it became Dangle First.
This game has always been a huge part of my life.
I was a goalie growing up, but getting onto the ice wasn't always easy. I never actually owned a full set of goalie equipment. I borrowed gear from friends and pieced together what I could because I just wanted to play.
I didn't need perfect equipment. I just needed enough to get on the ice.
That's part of why watching my own kids experience this game means so much to me. They get to play. They get to dream. They get to chase something they love.
Dangle First is, in many ways, a tribute to my children and their hockey journey.
It's especially inspired by my son and his endless pursuit of getting better. He doesn't complain. He doesn't quit. He plays through all the early mornings, the injuries, the tough shifts, he keeps his head up, turns on the jets and keeps going.
And He Always Dangles First.
My hope is that Dangle First becomes more than apparel. I want it to become something hockey people recognize in each other.
The parents in the stands. The kid pulling on a jersey before a game. The goalie tapping the posts. The coach opening the gate. The rink rats, the road trippers and everyone who knows what it means to spend a winter chasing this game.
We understand those early mornings. Those long drives. Those cold arenas. The great games and the terrible ones. We understand how much of our lives somehow end up revolving around a sheet of ice.
And we wouldn't change a thing.
For the players, I want Dangle First to feel like something of their own. Something that understands the game without taking itself too seriously. Be creative. Take the opening. Have some swagger. Make the play.
For everyone else, it's a reminder of why we keep showing up.
Because somewhere between the systems, drills, practices and expectations, hockey should still be fun.
