Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor keeps memories of late father close, misses their postgame talks

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Logan O’Connor thinks of his late father in pregame warmup. He thinks of him sometimes in the middle of a game, too. But afterward, that's when his absence really hits hard.

The Colorado Avalanche forward cherished their postgame talks.

His father, former NHL defenseman Myles O’Connor, died suddenly last month. He was 59 years old.

“The reason I play is because he was my hero,” O'Connor said Friday after an optional practice. “I wanted to be just like him.”

His father was a captain for the University of Michigan hockey squad before being drafted in the third round by the New Jersey Devils in 1985. Myles O'Connor played a total of 43 games over his career with three goals. He also had four assists — five, if assisting in getting his son to fall in love with the game and become an NHL player counts.

“He was the most successful man I know," said Logan O'Connor, a standout at the University of Denver before signing with the Avalanche as an undrafted free agent in 2018. "He had tons of friends and family around him, and tons of great relationships. ... The support our family has had because of the man he is has been pretty remarkable and special to see.”

His coaches and teammates constantly check in on him as he deals with the grief. That means the world to him. He attended his father's celebration of life last week in Calgary.

“They’ve been super-understanding of the process, and try and take my mind off things,” said O'Connor, who made his season debut on Oct. 23 as he dealt with a lower-body injury to start the season. “Every guy texted me when it was happening, and was super-supportive along the way, and doing whatever they can to help throughout the process.”

The organization gave him all the space he needed to heal.

“When someone’s going through a difficult time off the ice or even at the rink, it’s a time to be patient and be supportive," said Colorado coach Jared Bednar, whose team hosts Detroit on Saturday. "Help them through it any way you can.”

Being back on the ice has been emotional for O'Connor. That's simply because hockey was glue that bonded father and son.

“I could have taken three months, to be honest,” O'Connor said. “He wouldn’t want me to dwell on it too much. Obviously, it will be in the forefront of my mind forever. It’s also on me to live my life, my mom, my brother, to make the strides to getting back to a life of normalcy."

Over his career, O’Connor has frequently taken a brief moment to reflect while going through pregame warmup.

“How grateful I am for living my life, living the dream I’ve always dreamt of,” he explained. "Now it’s a little bit more of a personal thing with him. I’m thankful for him and everything.”

The father and son were supposed to be at a Denver-Michigan college hockey game together last month. O'Connor won a national title with the Pioneers in 2017, while his father was a star for the Wolverines.

O'Connor participated in a ceremonial faceoff while holding his young son.

“It felt like a way to honor him,” O'Connor said. “Something I know he’d still want me to do with my son. It was hard to do, but I think it was the right thing. He would be proud of me for doing so.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl