My name is Aidan McGaughy and my introduction to hockey came when I was just 43 days old, when my parents took me to a Washington Capitals game in D.C. My dad loves to tell the story: right after I was born, he asked the doctor two questions: “Is it okay if our dog licks his face?” and “When can he go to a hockey game?” The doctor answered “Yes”, and “as soon as you want,” and from that moment on, hockey has been a core part of my life, a home.

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I remember the first time on the ice, my dad laced up my skates, the cold air in the rink, the smell of the ice, watching my coach glide effortlessly like it was second nature, my first steps and the foreign feeling of my blades on the ice. I was hooked immediately. What started in northern Virginia when I was five carried me through years of competitive hockey and still lives with me today playing rec and pond hockey on the ice in Minnesota.

 

If you asked my friends at any stage of my life what I was passionate about, they’d all say hockey. I haven’t missed a Capitals game in over ten years (I record any I can’t watch live), with some of the highlights being watching the Capitals win the cup with friends and family in my basement, and seeing Ovechkin break the goal record live with my dad.

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​At one of my first skating lessons, our coach told us that the bigger the step, the faster we’d go. Instantly, I took one massive step, shot forward, and another, and another. I felt the cold wind on my face and was so invigorated that I turned to brag to a friend. Moments later, I turned back and realized (a few seconds too late) that we hadn’t gotten to the “how to stop” lesson yet. I slammed into the boards knocking the wind out of myself. When I got back to my feet, I looked up and saw my dad on the other side of the glass laughing. Immediately a huge smile broke across my face. My dad says that was the exact moment he knew I was a hockey player. I started house hockey later that year, I made my first travel team at age seven and have never looked back.

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Hockey shaped me into the person I am today. It taught me character during slumps and losing streaks, discipline during the early-morning and late-night practices, what it means to be a good teammate, and leadership when I was elected captain by my teammates at thirteen. It taught me sacrifice: blocking shots, playing through pain, showing up for your team no matter what. The biggest lesson of them all was work ethic. Hockey taught me that consistent effort compounds. I learned that if I showed up and worked hard every day, I could keep getting better. Each practice became a chance to push myself a little further than the day before, and that belief has stayed with me ever since on and off the ice shaping my life, career, and has driven me to start the Hockey Dad Foundation.

 

I’m incredibly grateful for my parents, teammates, coaches, and everyone who has helped me grow over the last twenty years. I love the quote: “Love the game and it will love you back!” It could not be more true. Only as I’ve gotten older have I truly understood how much my parents sacrificed so I could chase this dream. They took me to the rink four (or more) days each week, early mornings and late nights, put their own hobbies on hold, and poured tens of thousands of dollars into gear, ice time, league fees, and travel. Their sacrifices are the reason I had the opportunity to fall in love with the game.

 

The Hockey Dad Foundation is here to make sure as many kids as possible get the same opportunity without the incredible financial burden. The goal is simple: give kids the financial support they need to take their first steps on the ice for free.

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The foundation is named in honor of my dad, for making all of this possible, for supporting me every step of the way, and for still being my favorite person to watch a game with. Hockey dads like mine, and like Walter Gretzky, Tim Oshie, and Mikhail Ovechkin, give up so much so their kids can chase their dreams. They teach kids how to be good people. They are selfless in ways that often go unnoticed.

I was lucky enough to meet Mikhail Ovechkin several times at the Capitals’ practice facility. He’d share Russian candy, hockey stories, and wish me luck in pursuing my dreams. That warmth, that support, that selflessness, those are the qualities I want the Hockey Dad Foundation to embody.

Our hope is that every kid we reach feels supported, safe, and empowered to chase their dreams on and off the ice.