Vatrano thriving with Ducks heading into 1st NHL All-Star Game

“It’s been fun seeing him have a great year so far and he certainly deserves the All-Star nod from our group,” linemate Adam Henrique said. “That was a nice surprise for him and group.”

The surprise was delivered by Vatrano’s wife, Rebecca, and their 9-month-old daughter, Ophelia. They were waiting for him in the Ducks locker room following practice Jan. 4 with Ophelia wearing a onesie that read, “My Daddy is an NHL All-Star.”

“That was awesome,” Vatrano said. “I think my wife held the secret for a couple days, so I was surprised. I didn’t know. Honestly, I didn’t expect it at all and to get the news from them makes it extra special.”

Rebecca and Ophelia will be among the group of about 20 friends and family members that will join Vatrano in Toronto. Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, a longtime friend who played with Vatrano with the Ducks last season, said the All-Star Game selection is a just reward for a player who paid his dues with humility.

“He’s a very quiet guy, he puts his head down and goes to work,” Shattenkirk said. “He doesn’t look for recognition. My heart burst when I saw the video of Rebecca and Ophelia there to announce it. Well deserved.”

In his ninth NHL season, Vatrano appreciates the significance of being in the company of the League’s best players at the All-Star Game. The native of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, played alongside a host of future NHL players, including Ducks goalie John Gibson, with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (2010-2013), but went undrafted before signing with the Bruins in 2015 following his sophomore season at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

“Always my goal was to play in the NHL and, as you get older and older, not in this league, just in college, you can see how close you are,” Vatrano said. “Once you get here, I think anyone can play one game, but the hardest thing is to stay. So, for me, it was always just wanting to be an every-day NHLer and there were a lot of humps that I had to overcome to be an everyday guy, but once I got there, I knew I wasn’t going to lose it.”