Hath’s Heroes, A Baby Way on the Way, A New Puppy, And More: Garnet Hathaway One of the Busiest Capitals During the Offseason

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Diane Doyle
NHLPA

Since the Capitals last played in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway has had himself a busy offseason. From extensive work with his charity organization “Hath’s Heroes”, bringing a new puppy home, and the news of his wife Lindsay being pregnant, the second-year Capital has been one busy man during the offseason prior to the 2020-21 season.

Hathaway recently commented on the new family member, saying, “It’s been pretty busy lately. There’s definitely a lot going on. Soon enough, Lindsay and I will have a baby here with us. We don’t know if it’s a boy or girl yet  we’re going to wait to find out. For how chaotic it was in 2020, I was able to spend that time with her, being around for the first trimester and more. I’ve been able to go to every doctor’s appointment, which has been nice because normally that wouldn’t be the case at this time of the year. So, that’s one of many things that’s going on in my life right now.”

In addition to the baby news (along with adding a puppy named Huckleberry into the family), Hathaway, who signed a four-year contract with the Capitals in 2019 free agency, found time to help other people this offseason. Prior to the 2019-20 NHL season, he founded Hath’s Heroes as a way of giving back to first responders, inspired by his great-grandfather, Garnet McElroy, who was a firefighter in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This Thanksgiving, his Hath’s Heroes organization treated first responders in the Washington, D.C. area to a special Thanksgiving meal. Nearly 950 meals were brought to firehouses in Arlington, VA., Alexandria, VA., Fairfax, VA., and Prince George’s County, Maryland. The food itself was prepared by SuperFd, a food service company that prepares healthy meals for athletes.

Hathaway talked about the effort, saying, “It’s important to recognize the first responders at any time, but even more so with what they have had to face throughout the pandemic. With the community’s help, we were able to get some meals to people. It was really special. We all enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner with our families, but to know there are men and women out there away from their families working hard to protect us, to be able to team up with SuperFd and provide a really nice meal to make it feel like a holiday… it’s a way to show we care. I wish we could have joined them in person, but it turned out really well. A lot of people came together to make it a success.”

He and his organization also coordinated a fundraiser in late December that ended on December 30, in which the proceeds that were raised would be used to fund future Hath’s Heroes events and programming for first responders in the region. Items auctioned off included tickets to a Capitals game (including a post-game Meet and Greet with Hathaway), autographed Reverse Retro jerseys autographed by either Hathaway, Nicklas Backstrom, or T.J. Oshie, bobbleheads of Hathaway, and a stick signed by Hathaway.

Hathaway talked about this fundraising effort and applauded the help of his teammates, commenting, “I’m lucky to be on a team where the guys are willing to step up and help in a split-second. None of the guys blinked an eye when I told them what I was doing. Obviously, we’d love to be doing these meet-and-greets in person, but we were able to pivot and come up with some pretty cool ways to connect with first responders and the people in our community that support us.”

He further supported first responders when Hath’s Heroes teamed up with nonprofit organization Mindful Junkie (a not-for-profit organization that empowers first responders with mindfulness) to host a Mindfulness For First Responders training session. To aid in this, Hathaway donated tickets to Capitals’ games and meet the recipients after the game for a Meet-and-Greet.

His efforts for Washington D.C. area first responders earned him the Caps’ nomination for the King Clancy Memorial Award for the 2019-20 NHL season. The NHL gives this award annually to a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made considerable humanitarian contributions to his community.

In addition to his work with his own organization, Hathaway also participated in Skates and Plates, a league series in which celebrity chefs teach NHL players virtually how to prepare a restaurant-worthy meal at home. The 29-year old Kennebunkport, Maine native discussed the experience, saying, “I think I’m coming out of this a better cook. I can tell you I’ve definitely had my mishaps. I’ve burnt food and I’ve made some inedible things as well, but with the time we’ve had to be at home more has helped me to get better. Guys have a lot of different hobbies and for me, food is it.”

According to Hathaway, creating a meal does have its benefits, “It’s a time during my day where you can get away from things for a while, relax and hopefully, make something nice.”

By Diane Doyle

Further Reading
Original article from NHLPA.com
Hath’s Heroes Raises 15K to Feed First Responders Admit Covid-19 Pandemic
Capitals Community: Hath’s Heroes
Capitals’ Garnet Hathaway and Nic Dowd’s Podcast: Between Two Blue Lines –Returns for Season 2
Garnet Hathaway Named Capitals Nominee for King Clancy Memorial Trophy
Capitals’ Garnet Hathaway: Those First Responders Would Need Our Help— Now More Than Ever
Nic Dowd & Garnet Hathaway’s Podcast Generating Over 35,000 Listens Through 10 Episodes
Garnet Hathaway’s Hath’s Heroes and SuperFd Catering Partner Up to Provide Meals for First Responders
Capitals’ Garnet Hathaway on Bubble Life in Toronto: We Have A Team That Enjoys Spending Time Together

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Diane Doyle

Been a Caps fan since November 1975 when attending a game with my then boyfriend and now husband.
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