Madferret
6-23-05, 1:48 PM
Wings centre Kris Draper lost money but gained extra time with the kids
(CP) - Kennedi and Kienan Draper have been big winners during the NHL lockout. Oblivious to the economic impact on their dad and many others, all they know is that they've loved having him around.
"The quality time I've been able to put in with them is irreplaceable," said Kris Draper, the Detroit Red Wings centre. "I jumped into their everyday lives. "Usually, they have to jump into my life because I travel so much when I'm playing."
Daughter Kennedi is five and son Kienan three. They spoon up the oatmeal cereal he makes them as if it was candy. During the school year, he'd often drive Kennedi to class, and in the dead of winter he'd get Kienan on skates at public rinks.
"That's the reason I didn't go over and play in Europe," Draper explained. "There's no way I would have been able to leave my wife (Julie) and kids to go over there." Draper, 34, would have missed the pajama party.
"They had a mother-daughter pajama party at school," he recalled. "For whatever reason, Kennedi had in her mind she wanted her dad there. "I went in my lounging clothes. I was there with her and her whole class and all the moms - the only dad."
The family life in suburban Detroit helped him retain his sanity. Without it, the lockout might have driven him crazy. "It was really disappointing," he said of not been able to pull on his red and white Detroit sweaters. "I thought something was going to get resolved.
"I thought that once we came off our stance of no salary cap we had a chance to get a deal done. Then, realizing there would be no hockey . . . I realized I'd miss a whole year in my career, and when something's taken away you realize how much you miss it."
He took the family to Cancun, Mexico, for 10 days. "When they cancelled the season, I was so disappointed I had to get away," he said. Draper, who would have earned $2.8 million US had the season taken place, played in charity games in Red Deer, Alta., Moose Jaw, Sask., and Regina, in an outdoor charity game in Hamilton in April, and was on Canada's team at the world championship in Austria.
At home, he was doing his share of the housework - at least that's his version of the domestic story. "I was part of making the mess and some of the times I'd be letting my wife go do her thing and I was in charge," he said. "The last thing I wanted to do is let my wife come home to a messy house.
"I cook meals and do the kids' baths. I got real good at the instant oatmeal for breakfast, and we barbecue all winter so I was able to barbecue, broil up vegetables, make sure everybody was getting healthy meals." His brief taste of a 9-to-5 workday, involving an import-export business, wasn't so palatable.
"To go in and spend time in an office, that's when you miss hockey," he said. After the world championship, the Drapers went to Disneyworld.
He's resumed training in anticipation of a Detroit camp in September, hoping he'll soon get word the lockout is over. "I'm going to be excited, relieved, and hopeful that I don't have to go through this again and, for our sport, hopeful that nothing like this has to happen again.
"There's been a lot of damage to our sport. The players realize we have to build it back up, and we're committed to doing that. We want to start the repair process and get the game back to where it belongs."
Years from now, all Kennedi and Kienan will remember about the year of the lockout is that it was a wonderful time because daddy stayed home.
Expect to see allot more of these "Feel good" stories for both sides more and more as it becomes closer to a new CBA being announced. I for one am actually looking forward to more of these stories to read as the past 7 months have been nothing but negativity. Can I get a witness?
(CP) - Kennedi and Kienan Draper have been big winners during the NHL lockout. Oblivious to the economic impact on their dad and many others, all they know is that they've loved having him around.
"The quality time I've been able to put in with them is irreplaceable," said Kris Draper, the Detroit Red Wings centre. "I jumped into their everyday lives. "Usually, they have to jump into my life because I travel so much when I'm playing."
Daughter Kennedi is five and son Kienan three. They spoon up the oatmeal cereal he makes them as if it was candy. During the school year, he'd often drive Kennedi to class, and in the dead of winter he'd get Kienan on skates at public rinks.
"That's the reason I didn't go over and play in Europe," Draper explained. "There's no way I would have been able to leave my wife (Julie) and kids to go over there." Draper, 34, would have missed the pajama party.
"They had a mother-daughter pajama party at school," he recalled. "For whatever reason, Kennedi had in her mind she wanted her dad there. "I went in my lounging clothes. I was there with her and her whole class and all the moms - the only dad."
The family life in suburban Detroit helped him retain his sanity. Without it, the lockout might have driven him crazy. "It was really disappointing," he said of not been able to pull on his red and white Detroit sweaters. "I thought something was going to get resolved.
"I thought that once we came off our stance of no salary cap we had a chance to get a deal done. Then, realizing there would be no hockey . . . I realized I'd miss a whole year in my career, and when something's taken away you realize how much you miss it."
He took the family to Cancun, Mexico, for 10 days. "When they cancelled the season, I was so disappointed I had to get away," he said. Draper, who would have earned $2.8 million US had the season taken place, played in charity games in Red Deer, Alta., Moose Jaw, Sask., and Regina, in an outdoor charity game in Hamilton in April, and was on Canada's team at the world championship in Austria.
At home, he was doing his share of the housework - at least that's his version of the domestic story. "I was part of making the mess and some of the times I'd be letting my wife go do her thing and I was in charge," he said. "The last thing I wanted to do is let my wife come home to a messy house.
"I cook meals and do the kids' baths. I got real good at the instant oatmeal for breakfast, and we barbecue all winter so I was able to barbecue, broil up vegetables, make sure everybody was getting healthy meals." His brief taste of a 9-to-5 workday, involving an import-export business, wasn't so palatable.
"To go in and spend time in an office, that's when you miss hockey," he said. After the world championship, the Drapers went to Disneyworld.
He's resumed training in anticipation of a Detroit camp in September, hoping he'll soon get word the lockout is over. "I'm going to be excited, relieved, and hopeful that I don't have to go through this again and, for our sport, hopeful that nothing like this has to happen again.
"There's been a lot of damage to our sport. The players realize we have to build it back up, and we're committed to doing that. We want to start the repair process and get the game back to where it belongs."
Years from now, all Kennedi and Kienan will remember about the year of the lockout is that it was a wonderful time because daddy stayed home.
Expect to see allot more of these "Feel good" stories for both sides more and more as it becomes closer to a new CBA being announced. I for one am actually looking forward to more of these stories to read as the past 7 months have been nothing but negativity. Can I get a witness?