Tye Felhaber sat on the visitors bench at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and soaked up the moment that he had been dreaming of from the time he was a young boy playing minor hockey in Pembroke. It was still a couple of hours before game time, but he knew he had made it to the top league in the world. Soon, he would dress in his first National Hockey League game with the Colorado Avalanche.
Two night earlier, he had set off a wild celebration while playing with his American Hockey League team, the Colorado Eagles. His goal against the Grand Rapids Griffins about 12 minutes into the first period was the first goal of the game and unlocked the Teddy Bear toss. Fans littered the ice with thousands of teddy bears, gifts that would be donated to disadvantaged children.
It was a feel-good moment for Felhaber, but the best was yet to come. Following the game, his coach, Aaron Schneekloth, called him into his office and delivered the news he had been waiting to hear his entire hockey career. At 26 years of age, he was being called up to the NHL.
What followed was a series of emotionally charged phone calls and text messages. He let his parents, Joey and Michelle Felhaber, his brother Justin and his Grandparents, Keith and Jislaine Landon know that he was on the verge of making his NHL debut. He also called some buddies in the Pembroke and Petawawa area and then started packing his suitcase and made plans to catch a flight to Vancouver the next morning to meet his new teammates.
“It was pretty special to make that call to everyone. To see how happy and proud they were in their initial reaction was great,” said Felhaber.
The Avalanche are only a couple of seasons removed from winning a Stanley Cup. They have some of the top players in the league, including Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. Felhaber had to be pinching himself as he joined the team for their pre-game dinner, but he tried to keep his emotions intact and then he got some rest and prepared for what would be the biggest game of his hockey career.
“Before the game I was just super excited. I’ve been looking forward to it my whole life and told myself I’m going to enjoy every minute of it. I had a bit of nerves right before warmups, but as soon as I touched the ice that all went away. I just had the biggest smile on my face and was full of happiness and excitement,” said Felhaber.
Television cameras caught that big smile. So did his family. His parents, Joey and Michelle had worked some magic to fly across the country to see their son play his first NHL game. They were joined by Tye’s girlfriend, Zoe Nolan and his older brother, Justin. When the cameras panned to the family and caught Justin wiping away a tear from his eye, nothing more needed to be said about how special this moment was for the Felhaber family.
“It’s a credit to my family for all of the sacrifices they’ve made helping me chase my dreams. My brother for always pushing me to be better and I always wanted to be like him growing up. He really made a difference in me excelling at hockey and as a person.”
The relationship between the two brothers is special. Only two years separate them and while distance keeps them apart, they frequently connect by phone and text while Tye continues with his professional hockey career and Justin settles into teaching and coaching hockey at Northwood Prep school in Lake Placid, New York.
Both are talented hockey players and played at the highest levels of minor hockey, before breaking into junior hockey with the Pembroke Lumber Kings. Justin was a captain of the Lumber Kings. After only a few games with the Kings, Tye moved on to major junior hockey where he lit up the scoresheet in his final season with the Ottawa 67’s, collecting 59 goals and 109 points.
That 2018-19 season caught the attention of the Dallas Stars who signed Felhaber to his first NHL contract, but the call to move up the ladder to play in the NHL never came. Since graduating from junior hockey, Felhaber has played for several teams in the American Hockey League and the ECHL.
Playing in his first season with the Colorado Eagles, the farm team of the Avalanche, Felhaber is having a strong campaign. He is among the top scorers on the club and a well-liked teammate. He works hard every shift and hopes that effort will earn him another opportunity to play in the NHL, but he also understands the business side of the game.
His NHL debut gave him 4:34 of ice time. On paper, it sounds insignificant. In real life, it’s an incredible accomplishment. A study done in the early 2000’s by Jim Parcels, a veteran of minor and junior hockey in Ontario, suggested that 1 in 4,000 minor hockey players in Ontario will make it to the NHL. Other studies have indicated that between 2 and 5 percent of junior hockey players will advance to the NHL and many will play only a few games. So, it’s not easy.
Regrettably, the Avalanche placed Felhaber on waivers the day after he cut his teeth in the big leagues. It was a calculated gamble by the Avalanche who had signed Felhaber to a two-year NHL contract before promoting him. When he cleared waivers, Felhaber was returned to the Eagles where he continues to play well with aspirations to help lead the team to a Calder Cup, but sticking in the NHL is the primary goal.
On January 6th, the Avalanche recalled Felhaber to play against the Florida Panthers. It’s not a surprise. Felhaber is determined. If he needs incentive, he can draw on the support he is getting from his hometown. While many people in the Pembroke area stayed up late to watch his first NHL game on television, some of the pals he contacted after he learned he was going to play in his first NHL game took it a step further. They quickly made plans to take time off work, fly to Vancouver and get tickets to the game. That’s friendship and Felhaber was touched by the kind and supportive gesture.
“I spotted them during the warm up. It was amazing for everyone to be there. It meant so much to me to have my family and friends at the game.”
He offers this advice to younger hockey players who have the same dream to play in the NHL. “Have fun and enjoy playing the game. You’re always playing your best when you’re having fun. Remember, you can make it to the NHL if you work hard and believe in yourself.”
He’s right. He’s proved it. Tye Felhaber is among the few who has made it the National Hockey League.
