We’ll reserve judgment on the motivation of Foxsports.com doing a piece on hockey moms right now (and mentioning a certain VP candidate plenty high up) and note that this is, all around, a pretty fun piece. Full story right here; excerpt below:

The hockey mom drives her son to the rink for practice at an ungodly hour, makes the meals and cleans the foul-smelling equipment. She knows how to lace up skates and make ice in the backyard. She gives up sleep and weekends for tournaments at far-away places. She sacrifices careers in favor of moves that will help her son’s budding career.

She is coach, trainer, therapist, nutritionist, spiritual advisor and shoulder to lean upon — and that is just for starters.

She can establish the athletic lineage, as Tatiana Ovechkin did for son Alex, the high-scoring forward of the Washington Capitals.

Tatiana played for the USSR’s women’s basketball team that won gold medals at the 1976 and ‘80 Summer Olympics.

The genetic link is strong. In shootouts, Ovechkin always kicks his left leg before making his move. Tatiana had a similar habit before looking to score, Ovechkin said.

“My mother is a great sportsman,” Ovechkin said. “She taught me so much. How to play. How to play hard. How to win.”

The hockey mom can impart a mind-set. Mike Milbury was a hard-nosed defenseman for 11 seasons before moving into coaching and front-office work. The combative Milbury said he “loved my mom dearly,” but she helped toughen him for what was ahead.

“All I ever heard from her was ‘You have to hustle more, work more,’” Milbury said. “That drove me nuts. What I got from her, besides genetics, was aggravation.“

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