DALLAS
John Witkowski planned on spending this past week fishing in the Bahamas.
But when the longtime plumber from Holland, Mich., found out the Lightning was putting on a fathers trip, it threw a wrench in his vacation. Witkowski gladly improvised to make sure he could join his son, recently called-up rookie defenseman Luke Witkowski, 24, on the team's road trip to St. Louis and Dallas.
It's been an adventure. John Witkowski spent last Friday and Saturday in Nassau with his wife, Kris, and older son, Nick, before flying to Tampa on Monday (through Miami) to join the Lightning. Today Witkowski was scheduled to fly back to the Bahamas at 7 a.m. before returning to work Monday.
"It's like 12 flights in one week, and I was supposed to be on vacation," John Witkowski said, chuckling. "But you can't turn this down. It might not happen again. (Luke) could be here for 10 years, or he might be here for 10 minutes. You don't know. But I'm happy he's here now."
John Witkowski is one of more than two dozen dads and brothers who this week accompanied the Lightning players and staff — equipment managers, public relations, travel specialists — some coming in from as far as Sweden and Finland. The group traveled with the team on its charter, sharing rooms with the players in hotels. It attended all the practices and games — each wearing a black Lightning jersey with his son's or brother's name on the back — and sat in on some team meetings. The group also took field trips to the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis and the John F. Kennedy museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas.
Though fathers trips are common around the NHL, it was the Lightning's first since 2008. This one received support from coach Jon Cooper, general manager Steve Yzerman and owner Jeff Vinik. Cooper's father, Bob, was even part of the party, flying in from Prince George, British Columbia.
"This is a real-life thank you card," Cooper said. "I think our dads have grown with us since we could barely wipe our noses. And I don't think one player or coach can sit here and say, 'Well, I've got there without my dad.' They're the ones that, when you fall down, they pick you up. To share this experience with them is really rewarding."
Raineri Filppula, the Finnish father of center Valtteri Filppula, had been on a few fathers trips while Valtteri was with the Red Wings. The Army officer said he attends two to three games a year and was happy to deal with the 12- to 14-hour plane flight.
"It's worth it," he said.
The trip started with practice Monday in Tampa, followed by a charter flight to St. Louis. Fathers and sons had a cocktail hour that night, with many checking out the nearby casino.
The fathers sat in a suite during Tuesday's game against the Blues, with Vital Paquette getting to see live for the first time his son, Cedric, score in the NHL. Vital reached back to other dads to share high fives.
Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene
Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter
You’re all signed up!
Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.
Explore all your optionsThough players and staff wanted to show their thanks, it was the fathers who developed a new appreciation for the grind of the schedule their sons go through — late-night charter flights before practices the next day.
"It's not that glamorous," said Artie Boyle, Brian Boyle's dad.
Artie, 59, a longtime salesman and former truck company owner, was diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in 1999 and given a 5 percent chance to live. That Artie is cancer-free and able to be on this trip is a miracle in itself.
"I could have been dead at (age) 44," he said. "I would have never experienced any of this stuff. It's a gift. It's a gift for all of us."
Olle Hedman, father of defenseman Victor Hedman, has worked the night shift at a paper mill in Sweden since he was 18 years old, often catching Lightning games on late TV. This week Olle got a chance to watch up close. Though English is a second language for several fathers, they found ways to communicate and bond. Olle often hung out with fellow Swede Jan Stralman, defenseman Anton Stralman's dad. It was fitting, considering Stralman and Hedman are usually in the same pairing.
"It's been fun," Victor said. "Ever since I came into the league, (Olle has) heard about the fathers trips. It's pretty cool that it's happened."
John Witkowski will still get some fishing in on his vacation. But as Luke said, "This has got to trump the Bahamas."
John agreed and hopes the Lightning will make this a tradition.
"They're talking about doing a mothers trip,'' he said. "We'll see what happens."
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_JSmith.