On Sunday afternoon, Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway spoke to the media on a Zoom call following Group Blue’s practice on the sixth day of training camp in Phase 3 of the NHL’s Return to Play Plan. He discussed getting married on July 4, the impact of Hath’s Heroes during the Coronavirus pandemic, and bubble life in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city for the playoffs.

Hathaway has been back in the DMV since early June when the informal skates (Phase 2) occurred. He hopes the fourth line composed of himself, Richard Panik and Nic Dowd will “pick up where they left off”. Hathaway noted the line left on a good note and credited communication as the key. “I thought we were playing really good hockey.”

“The equipment is traveling,” Hathway said in reference to continuing the Between Two Blue Lines podcast, which he and Dowd host. He did not go into much detail as episodes have not been scheduled yet, but wants to give fans the “inside scoop” on life inside the bubble and what’s going in.

In one episode of the podcast, Hathaway mentioned he and his fiancée were working on preparations for their summer wedding. The couple tied the knot on July 4th! “I got married on July 4th…very, very small ceremony. It was a long process that turned into a really small ceremony but it was a great day.” Congrats to the Hathaways!

The 28-year old expressed his gratitude for the first responders on the frontlines who have not been able to stay home and as safe as possible because those men and women are protecting people like us during an unprecedented time. His program, Hath’s Heroes, kept very busy during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Trail mix packets by Power Up Snacks were supplied to local first responders through the initiative. SuperFd Catering also teamed up with Hathway’s program to provide prepared meals for first responders. He matched the first $5,000 in donations and SuperFd provided a free meal to high-risk individuals with every meal purchased. “It was a great effort from the community,” Hathaway added. Inspired by his great-grandfather, a Winnipeg firefighter, Hathaway started the program in December to show his support and appreciation for first responders.

“We have a team that enjoys spending time together,” he said. Cards and video games seem to be the two favorite activities to keep busy while in the bubble. Hockey games will keep the team busy but Hathaway indicated they will “take advantage” of the downtime. “You gotta recover too.”

He called the new health and safety protocols “strict” but “all for [a] reason.” The team is optimistic about the NHL’s return. They are trusting teammates that they’re “doing the right thing away from the rink”, receiving daily checks, wearing masks, and maintaining social distancing. Hathaway believes the Capitals will be safe while in Toronto.

Hathaway said they “build off that chemistry” and energy of a full arena. He said it may be a little “eerie” at times playing with no fans, but noted that once the puck drops, “it’s gonna be back to normal.”

“I got married on July 4th. Very, very small ceremony. It was a long process that turned into a really small ceremony but it was a great day.”

CONGRATS TO THE HATHAWAYS!#ALLCAPS | @GarnetHathaway pic.twitter.com/09R4rd3Z44

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 19, 2020

By Della Young