Ice hockey team Milwaukee Admirals have shared the touching moment their player Bobby Butler told his dad he made the US Olympic team.
The PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea start in February, and it’s the 30-year-old’s first appearance at the competition.
TFW you tell your dad that you’ve made the US Olympic Team 🙌🏻#TeamUSA 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ASoOYYXS4Z
— Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) January 1, 2018
Absolutely beaming with pride.
Butler, who plays in the American Hockey League (AHL), got the call-up after the National Hockey League (NHL) decided not to schedule a mid-season break for the Olympics. They also prevented any player with an active NHL contract from going – meaning players from the league will not attend the games for the first time since 1994.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said the decisions “must be a huge disappointment for the players” – but for Butler and others it presents a wonderful opportunity.
I know we’re a little down on the Olympics without the NHL, but these are the kinds of moments that make me so happy for the players selected. The Olympic dream was dead for a lot of these guys. You know they’ll battle every day for the crest on that jersey. https://t.co/d3ihcFfGhC
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) January 2, 2018
Stuff like this is the real silver lining to @NHL not going this year. All these guys who never in a million years thought they'd play in the #Olympics now get to experience it. https://t.co/QSNKxgwRB3
— Heart of NHL (@HeartofNHL) January 2, 2018
Bobby Butler telling his father he made Team USA is the best thing you’ll see all week. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/TNd0EbYlXm
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 2, 2018
A silver lining to an intriguing development in ice hockey.
The initial US Olympic roster includes “semi-retired” former NHL star Brian Gionta as captain, three players from the AHL including Butler, five from Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, five from Switzerland’s National League A, three from the Swedish Hockey League and two from multiple levels of Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
