NHL players across the league have decided to foster dogs during the league’s pause due to coronavirus.
Star players like the Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser, Washington Capitals’ Tom Wilson, and Tampa Bay Lightning’s Victor Hedman have all adopted puppies during this time. “I feel like it’s easier right now to train him because I’m at home the whole day, I can’t leave,” Boeser said to ESPN, “He’s been a beauty so far.” (RELATED: ‘Puck The Virus’: Hockey Team’s Creative Way To Support Workers)
View this post on Instagram
the coburn fam has taken in the final three pups of the lightning litter! meet jake, kyle, and royce
Barclay Goodrow of the Tampa Bay Lightning started the adoption trend that has since swept through the Lightning organization.
“We were watching the news one night and they said shelters were pretty much at capacity with animals,” Goodrow said. “And a lot of shelters were being shut down.”
Goodrow went to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and found star defenseman Victor Hedman adopting two dogs himself. Then teammate Braydon Coburn became interested and adopted three of the puppies himself. “They’re calling it the Lightning litter,” Hedman said. “At this point, we want to come closer to a solution for the virus, obviously follow the rules as much as we can and be positive as much as we can. But having these puppies at home with us really helps time move faster.”
Tom Wilson preventively adopted a dog before the season was put on hold. Wilson said that the hard part now is dog socializing outside of himself and his girlfriend Taylor. “It’s time for her to be at the park and meeting other dogs, so that sucks for her a little bit,” Wilson said. “We have the Dowds come over with their golden (retriever) in the backyard and we let them play. So it’s good she realizes there’s other furry animals out there, it’s not just me and Taylor.” The dog, Halle, has been so popular online since the adoption that the Capitals created a bobblehead of Wilson with his puppy, with a portion of the proceeds going to the adoption center she came from.
Happy #NationalPuppyDay from Josie! @BlueJacketsNHL #CBJ pic.twitter.com/Tn3O1szc62
— Scott Harrington (@S_Harrington06) March 23, 2020
Scott Harrington of the Columbus Blue Jackets also got his 11-week-old French bulldog, Josie, during his quarantine in Columbus with his girlfriend. “I think we spend 99 percent of the day just watching her, waiting for her to go to the bathroom in the house and try to catch her before it happens,” Harrington said. “I have to say, she’s been a great addition to our house, especially since we don’t have much to do. She always wants to be around us, she sleeps on top of my girlfriend’s head, it’s cute.”