Returning the favor: Watson’s Dads Trip guest made his hockey journey possible

Hockey has certainly given Austin and his grandfather plenty of unforgettable memories. When the Lightning let the players know that the team’s Dads Trip was set to take place during the road trip to Colorado and Arizona, Watson knew exactly who would be joining him.

Between his time with the Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators, Watson was part of four or five Dads Trips. Wrubel was there every single time. Serving as a father figure for a large portion of Watson’s life, bringing Wrubel on Tampa Bay’s Dads Trip was an easy decision.

“He’s just a kind man,” Watson said. “When you grow up with that as an example of how to be as an adult and as a man, I think that kind of wears off on you.

“I just try to be a good person like him. I try to be kind and loving and selfless. He’s all of those things and more, and he continues to be like that to this day.

“I wouldn’t be here doing what I am today if it wasn’t for my grandparents. I have a ton of gratitude and appreciation for them. They really stepped up and they made it possible for me to do what I do and to have the life that I have with my family. It’s all possible because of them.”

When Watson was drafted by the Windsor Spitfires in the second round of the 2008 OHL Draft, his entire family was elated. Not only was he moving forward on his journey to the NHL, but the big forward was set to play in a city that was no more than an hour drive from Ann Arbor.

“We’d drive into Detroit, cross the border, maybe check out a couple casinos,” Wrubel said with a laugh. “Then, we’d drive another 10 minutes and we’d be at the arena to watch him play. It was great.”

Whether it’s been Compuware, Windsor, Peterborough, London, Milwaukee, Nashville, Ottawa or Tampa, Wrubel has been all in on Watson’s hockey journey from the very beginning.

Without his grandparents, there’s a chance Watson may have never played a single game in the National Hockey League. Now, he’s just three games away from playing his 500^th career game in the NHL.

You can bet Richard Wrubel will be tuning in for that game, just as he has for every single contest that got his grandson to this point. And as proud as Watson’s accomplishments as a hockey player have made Wrubel feel, there’s still something that means even more.

“I’m still watching every game,” Wrubel said. “Of course, I’m so proud of what he’s been able to do with his career, but I think I’m just most proud of what a good…