One year into fatherhood, Jonah Gadjovich ‘loving life’ and helping Panthers in playoffs
The play won’t make the highlight reels. It wasn’t the difference maker in the Florida Panthers’ 5-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday to take a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference final.
But you wouldn’t tell by the team’s reaction when Jonah Gadjovich blocked a shot late in the third period with the game firmly in the Panthers’ hands.
“The bench lost its mind,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “They cheer for each other differently.”
Gadjovich is an easy player for the team to cheer for.
And Thursday was a particularly important day for the 26-year-old forward.
Thursday was the first birthday for his twins, son Lion and daughter Adalee.
“Oh, man, it’s been busy, that’s for sure,” Gadjovich told the Miami Herald recently of how the past 12 months have been since becoming a dad. “We’ve had a lot of fun. It’s been fun watching them grow up and start buzzing around and developing their little personalities. For me, obviously I come to the rink and try to do my job here, work hard, and then when I go home, I just go try to be full dad and full husband. Just loving life. It’s good.”
When the twins were born last year, Gadjovich spent a little more than a week away from the team. He rejoined them for Game 5 of their Eastern Conference final series against the New York Rangers — a game Florida ultimately won 3-2 in overtime and after which gave Gadjovich the game puck.
“So happy for him,” defenseman Gustav Forsling said at the time. “Everything went well and it’s cool to share. That’s a good experience for him and I’ve been through that. It’s awesome to see.”
Gadjovich said becoming a parent made him learn “what you have to prioritize.”
“Obviously, for me, now that’s my kids,” Gadjovich said. “I’ve got to do whatever I have to do for them and then hockey is after that. Family has to come first. There’s been times throughout the year where you just have to figure out how to play tired. You have some sleepless nights or whatever, and you just have to find a way to do your job. It’s been a learning experience, and I’m surrounded by such good staff and such a good group of guys here that they’ve all been so supportive. It’s fun coming to the rink every day.”
Especially now. While Gadjovich was with the Panthers throughout their run to their first Stanley Cup last season, he didn’t play at all in the postseason.
This year, he finally drew into his first postseason contest in Game 3 of Florida’s second-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs when Maurice decided to swap out his entire fourth line. Gadjovich scored a goal that night, and the trio of Gadjovich, A.J. Greer and Tomas Nosek has been in the lineup ever since.
“Obviously, I was around last year and just watching what the guys were doing and trying to learn from them even though I wasn’t in the lineup,” said Gadjovich, who has two goals and an assist to go along with 40 hits in seven games on this playoff run. “I tried to, I guess, carry my experience over this year. My goal and focus was to just stay ready. I knew that if I was called on to get in the lineup that I’d be ready. I’ve just been having fun with it. There’s honestly, a lot of stresses and anxieties that come along with playing in the NHL, but I’m just trying to have fun and check those aside and just enjoy what I’m doing.”
He certainly is enjoying life, both on and off the ice.
The hope is that another Stanley Cup is on the horizon.
Lion and Adalee already got to experience it once, with Gadjovich and wife Allison putting both of them inside the Cup as the Panthers celebrated the victory last June.
“It was fun to have the twins on the ice and putting them in the Cup was just such a cool experience,” Gadjoivch said. “They were still so tiny that they both fit in the Cup at that time. They’re awesome. It’s fun having them having them be part of that.”
Florida is six wins away from the Gadjoviches getting to experience it again.
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