‘This was just a dream come true’

St. John’s teen Seth Hyde made the most of his NHL All-star Game behind-the-scenes experience

Standing in the VIP section of the NHL All-star Weekend’s red carpet on Feb. 3, Seth Hyde knew just what buttons to push to get some of his favourite stars to come his way.

Outside the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, when the 14-year-old from St. John’s saw the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar or Nathan Mackinnon get near, he shouted St. John’s, where their teammate Alex Newhook is from, to get their attention.

For Sidney Crosby, it was the mention of Atlantic Canada that drew The Kid in for a few stories and an autograph.

When Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made his way down the red carpet, the mention of the St. John’s Ice Caps, where Hellebuyck played once, got him to stick around.

“It was pretty cool to see how nice the players are,” said Seth. “I’m used to seeing them in the playoffs when they’re getting in fights and everything and being rough on the boards, but they were all very gentle and really nice. So it’s pretty cool to see that.”

POWER PLAYER

Seth arrived in the Sunshine State for the All-star Game Tuesday, Jan. 31 for the best away-from-school assignment he could imagine.

He was there as a member of the NHL Power Players youth advisory board. Seth was selected as one of the 27 youth advisers from around the United States and Canada before the start of the season.

As a member of the board, he was given the choice of getting VIP access to either the All-star weekend or one of the outdoor games held earlier this season.

Seth chose the All-star Game festivities and, looking back on the weekend, he couldn’t be happier.

On top of meeting the players he grew up watching, he got to meet other Power Players in-person for the first time, take in both the skills competitions and the game itself, as well any of the other weekend activities.

The Power Players were supposed to play the NHL mascots in a ball hockey game on the beach but it was cancelled due to the weather.

That didn’t damper his spirits, though.

“This was kind of like a thing to tick off the bucket list, going to the All-star Game,” said Seth.

“I’ve been watching that ever since I could talk and walk, so this was just a dream come true.”

‘ACCESS TO EVERYTHING’

While he got free reign of the place in Florida, he wasn’t the only member of his family along for the ride. His parents, Jackie and Darin, also got to experience the All-star weekend up close.

They were there as Crosby and Hellebuyck chatted with their son for a couple of minutes and got to witness just how well the Power Players were treated by the NHL.

“These kids had access to everything,” said Jackie. “It was a top-notch, first-class event and I think it hasn’t hit Seth yet. I think when we get home and we kind of decompress, it’s going to hit us.

“When we take out all the merch he has and all the memorabilia and autographs and everything, it’s going to really hit us.”

When Seth and Jackie spoke with the Telegram, they were spending one last day in Florida before returning to the frozen tundra of St. John’s.

The family was headed for Miami for the Duke University and the University of Miami NCAA basketball game Monday evening. Duke is one of Seth’s favourite teams and will cap off a family vacation unlike any other.

“We stay close to home. We don’t go on trips or anything like this,” said Jackie. “So, it’s quite a big deal for us, for sure.”

BEST MOMENT

Even with all he saw and the people he met, there’s one thing that stands out the most for Seth. After the skills competition, the NHL mascots came out for a game of their own.

He enjoyed watching it so much it became something he’d like to see added to the regular broadcast.

“If I were to tell eight-yearold me that I’d be watching the mascots play after the skills competition, I probably flip out,” he said.

“So that was also just another part of this insane trip. This dream come true trip.”