Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s NHL dreams were set in place since the first time he put on skates.
“I started skating when I was 18 months old and started playing hockey not long after that,” Anderson-Dolan said. “It’s just always been my passion.”
In 2013, Anderson-Dolan got his first brush with the best and it only reinforced that passion. He and a friend took part in the Detroit Red Wings‘ morning skate before a February game against the Calgary Flames.
“You’re watching the Flames skate, and knowing you’re going to be skating right after them with Detroit, and you’re on the ice with guys like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, guys that you’ve watched on TV and looked up to your whole life,” the Calgary native said. “It was pretty nerve-racking but at the same time, it was an unreal experience.”
They even impressed then-assistant coach Tom Renney, who remarked: “Talented little guys, for sure.”
But who knew just how talented? Now – at age 17 – Anderson-Dolan is set to hear his name called at the 2017 National Hockey League Entry Draft in Chicago.
“You watch a lot of hockey growing up, watch guys like Crosby, and guys you’ve looked up to your whole life get drafted, and now it’s your turn to go through that. It’s definitely really exciting but it’s pretty surreal.”
But Anderson-Dolan has plans to impact the game he grew up playing well beyond just scoring goals.
He and his older brother Dorian were raised by two mothers, Fran and Nancy. Something he’s proud to tell the world.
“Growing up, everyone was great with it. So for me, you know we talk about it being a little bit different but for me it’s normal. I don’t know any other way of being raised,” Anderson-Dolan said.
“I was pretty lucky to have a lot of support with that and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Last season, in a show of support for the LGBTQ community and the NHL’s “Hockey Is For Everyone” campaign, Anderson-Dolan and his Spokane Chiefs teammates wrapped their sticks with rainbow hockey tape. Working together in the fight to end homophobia in sports.
It’s a role he only hopes to grow moving forward.
“If I can have an impact in the community that way and kind of show somebody in the same situation, I have the same thing going on and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, you should be proud of it,” he said.
“I’m proud of my two moms and proud of everyone I know who’s openly gay.”
This weekend all his family and friends will be together, watching Anderson-Dolan reach a major milestone in his hockey career.
“They’ve made almost as many sacrifices as I have to get to this point, so it’s going to be really cool to have them there. I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am for them.”
And one NHL team will be grateful to welcome a young man named Jaret Anderson-Dolan to their family this weekend.
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