Chase Pearson hadn’t been expecting a call when USA Hockey’s Jim Johannson dialed him in late August.
That day, Pearson was formally invited to participate in the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game, a contest featuring the top 42 American prospects eligible for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Surprised and ecstatic, Pearson quickly began to spread the word.
The first person to find out was his father, Scott, who was with his son at the time of the call but was significantly less surprised. He had known for some time about the game and knew furthermore that his son had a shot at being invited, but had kept quiet about the possibility so as to not raise Chase’s expectation. If it was going to happen, Scott thought, it was going to happen.
It did happen, and when Chase takes the First Niagara Center ice on September 25 it will mark the first opportunity for Scott Pearson to watch his son skate in the city he once played in. Scott spent parts of two seasons as a player for the Buffalo Sabres from 1994-96, collecting seven points (6+1) in 41 games.
For father and son alike, the experience will be special.
Notes: Robby Jackson (Alameda, Calif.) has been added to Team Olczyk's roster for the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. Jackson, who plays for the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel, replaces Mike Floodstrand (Chicago, Ill.), who will miss the game due to injury.