‘They sacrifice so much’: Knights thankful for wives on Mother’s Day

ANAHEIM, Calif. — If you happen to be doing some last-minute flower shopping this weekend, you might not find many options left because the Vegas Golden Knights players possibly bought them all.

The Knights find themselves not only working on Mother’s Day, but won’t even be in town on Sunday to celebrate with their wives or mothers.

They have work to do, like trying to take a 3-1 series lead on the Anaheim Ducks with Game 4 at Honda Center on Sunday.

It’s not lost on the dads in the locker room how important it is to celebrate the women in their lives.

Defenseman Noah Hanifin, for example, will miss wife Monique’s first Mother’s Day as a mom. She gave birth to their first daughter last year, and are expecting their second child later this year.

“My wife has been holding down the fort,” Hanifin said. “We’re on the road all the time, grinding throughout the season. We’re not much help sometimes.

“They sacrifice so much and we’re really lucky and privileged to be able to do what we do. It’s impossible to do without them taking care of all the stuff on the side, supporting us throughout the process. All the guys in the room are all super grateful for what they do for us.”

Leading goal scorer Brett Howden and his wife, Meike, now have two children of their own after starting their family during the Knights’ Stanley Cup run in 2023.

Howden’s parents will be in Las Vegas, so his mom will be able to celebrate Mother’s Day with Meike.

“You can’t even put into words how much she does for our family, for our kids, for me,” Howden said. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I do if it wasn’t for her.

“Our son just turned 3, our daughter just turned 1, and it still feels like every day is just a new adventure with them. It’s pretty special. My kids are lucky. They got a really incredible mom.”

Being on the injured list the last six months allowed center William Karlsson to spend time with his wife, Emily, and their two sons, Beckham and Lars.

Beckham turns 3 on Tuesday, and Lars is 1.

“There’s different stages with the boys growing up,” Karlsson said. “It’s fun to see how she handles everything, just to see how boyhood is for her.

“It’s a good reminder of the things they actually do, the things you take for granted, stuff like that. It’s a nice day to recognize all that.”