In a season that saw a Latvian forward take his first NHL Christmas with family, Rodrigo Abols has turned a long-haul dream into a Philadelphia Flyers reality.
The Big Leap
A 29-year-old from Latvia, Abols arrived in Philadelphia for his rookie debut with the Flyers. “When I’m done with hockey,” he said before his first game, “I’m glad at least I came here and gave it another shot.” He is now a full-time NHL player, and his wife Paula and 4-year-old son Aleksi are enjoying their first Christmas together in the United States.
Training Camp and Home Life
During the preseason, Abols stayed in the area for camp while Paula and Aleksi remained in Latvia. Last season they lived in a hotel in Philadelphia as he moved between the Flyers and their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This season they arrived later after Abols impressed in camp, and the Flyers told him to seek permanent residence toward the end of October.
A Standout Performance
Head coach Rick Tocchet gave Abols a chance in six of the Flyers’ seven preseason games. “I laugh because early in camp, we had him playing in Game 1 and we were looking at lineups for Games 2, 3 and 4. At first, we didn’t have him in any of those games,” general manager Danny Briere said in October. “After Game 1, Tocchet came back and he said, ‘I want to see him again.’ So we put him in Game 2. After Game 2, he said, ‘I need to see him one more time.’ We put him in Game 3 and Game 4 and Game 5. At the end, we were trying to give him a break and find a way to give him a little bit of a breather.”
Family Behind the Scenes
Abols praised his wife’s support. “She has been massive,” he said of Paula. “She sacrifices a lot for me to have a chance to play here, holding the fort down, especially this season.” He met Paula before they were teenagers and has known her “for super long,” adding two weeks ago. He and Paula grew up playing youth hockey together, with his brother Bruno also involved.
On-Ice Contributions
Before Christmas, Abols recorded a goal, two assists and a plus-3 rating over the last three games. He has played 31 of 36 games for the Flyers, whose record is 19-10-7. As the club’s fourth-line center, he has two goals and three assists.
A New Tradition
Abols reflected on the changing meaning of Christmas. “I think there was a stretch when you grow old or grow out of the Christmas excitement I guess,” he said. “Now I have a 4-year-old, so he understands what Christmas is and what it means. It’s more exciting just to see his joy and kind of make his day. Definitely now the Christmas spirit is more back than maybe a couple of years before when it was just the two of us.”
From SHL to the NHL
Prior to joining the Flyers, Abols spent four seasons in Sweden’s SHL, the country’s top professional league. Six of his first seven professional seasons were in the SHL. “Pretty much ever since I’ve turned pro, every Christmas has been on the road,” he said.
Olympic Dreams
This season he will represent Team Latvia at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Paula may head home to Latvia before rejoining him in Italy. “She might go back before the Olympics to acclimatize, get the jet lag out of the system,” he said, so she can enjoy her time in Milan.
The Little Fan
Aleksi is just beginning to soak up the thrills of his dad playing in the NHL. “I don’t think he quite grasps what the NHL is, but he just finds it cool to come to the games,” Abols said. “He’s super excited to see me. He has grown so much in these three months. The first week, when he got here, I couldn’t even recognize him. He got so much smarter, so much wiser, so much funnier. It has been awesome. You realize you have to appreciate every moment you get with him and that’s what I try to do. After games, he’s coming up, he’s running, hugging, he’s asking if I scored and then he’s like, ‘Flyers had four, Sharks had one. Flyers won!’ He’s definitely having a lot of fun.”
Growing Up With the Game
His parents helped fuel his passion by giving him a sticker page with all the NHL logos. “He picks and chooses the ones he likes,” Abols said. “Last year, we put the Flyers ones somewhere, he already used them up, so he was like, ‘I don’t have Flyers ones!’ It’s pretty cool he learns the logos that way. He was asking me who we were playing. ‘We play the Sharks.’ He was like, ‘Oh, that’s the team that bites the stick!'”
Gratitude and Focus
Abols is grateful for Paula and Aleksi’s support, especially during a tight schedule. “It has been fun, definitely much needed in a tight schedule,” he said. “When you’re alone and if maybe you’re not playing your best hockey, you can get very down on yourself. So they definitely help me take my thoughts away from the rink.”
Key Takeaways
- Rodrigo Abols, a 29-year-old Latvian, made his NHL debut with the Philadelphia Flyers and celebrated his first Christmas as a full-time player with his family.
- He earned a spot on the Flyers after a strong preseason, contributing a goal, two assists and a plus-3 rating in the final three games before Christmas.
- Abols will represent Latvia at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, while his wife Paula and son Aleksi are integral to his journey, balancing life between Latvia and the United States.
The story of Abols underscores the perseverance of a player who has journeyed from the SHL to the NHL, all while keeping his family close and embracing new traditions on and off the ice.
