TJ Oshie scores a hat trick in first game since his father’s passing

In his first game back following the passing of his father, T.J Oshie honored his last dad with a hat trick against the New York Rangers.

In what was an embarrassment of a hockey game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers, T.J Oshie produced one of the best feel good moments of the entire NHL season, scoring a hat trick in his first game back in the lineup following his father’s passing.

Oshie was absent from Monday’s games against the Rangers, citing a personal reason. Tuesday morning, Oshie announced that his father, Tim Oshie, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2012, had passed away at 56 years old.

Oshie often credited his hockey career to his father, who moved to Warroad, Minnesota in 2002 so TJ could pursue playing Division I College Hockey. Even after his diagnosis in 2012, he had always supported his son throughout his career, and became an icon to the entire Capitals team shortly after Oshie’s trade to Washington in 2015.

After everything his father had done for him and been through after his diagnosis, it made Oshie lifting the Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Capitals all that much sweeter, as he got to share the moment with his dad who was able to make the trip from his home in Seattle. Oshie’s tear-jerking on-ice interview remains one of the most memorable moments of the Capitals Stanley Cup victory.

“My dad. Oh boy. He doesn’t remember a lot of stuff these days,” he said. “But he remembers enough. I tell you what, he’s here tonight. I don’t know where he’s at. But this one will stick with him forever. You can guarantee that.”

The Capitals wore special helmet decals in honor of Oshie’s late father, whom they all referred to as ‘Coach’,  in Wednesday’s rematch against the Rangers.

Oshie’s opened the scoring twelve seconds into the second period with a powerplay goal, rifling a shot on an odd man rush past Alex Georgiev to put the Capitals up 1-0.

His second goal also came on the powerplay, after cleaning up a rebound of a Dmitry Orlov shot to put the Capitals up 2-0.

Oshie’s hat trick goal came with the net empty to seal the game, as the entire Capitals bench  celebrated with him. Once he got back to the bench, he could be seen tearing up on the bench as the emotions of the moment hit him all at once. It would be Oshie’s fourth career hat trick, but it’s unlikely any goal will ever matter to him more than the three he scored tonight.

Even with all the shenanigans that took place in Wednesday’s game against the Rangers, Oshie’s heartwarming moment should not be brushed aside and forgotten. These are the kind of moments that make sports what they are, and there’s nobody else who deserved that moment more than Oshie.