It’s that time of year again, folks. Kris Kringle is readying the billions upon billions of presents he’s set to deliver on this Christmas Eve night, and I, for one, am feeling quite giddy about it.
However, I’d have a hard time spending my Christmas morning without knowing what it is that some of the Vegas Golden Knights’ most notable players asked Santa for. This is important subject matter. The world needs to know. What someone wants for Christmas speaks a lot about their character, and Knights players are no different.
To find out this key information, I walked around the Knights’ locker room and asked numerous players what they wanted Santa Claus to leave them under the Christmas tree. And some of their Christmas wishes were a bit surprising.
Paul Stastny
“A pressure cooker would be nice, but my wife cooks more than I do, so that’d make it too easy for her,” said Stastny. “I just want toys for the kids that don’t go all over the floor. Or something that just cleans up on its own.”
I hate to be the bearer of bad news for Pauly Walnuts, but I’m not sure there’s a device in existence specifically designed to pick up his kids’ toys. That said, these things are real, so it may only be a matter of time before the Stastny family gets some backup in the department of toy-gathering.
William Carrier
“A new pair of shoulder pads maybe. Those are a little banged up,” said Carrier.
A true professional. Carrier wanted nothing more than some new hockey gear for Christmas. The man lives, breathes and eats the ice sport, and is it all that shocking that he wants some new equipment for Christmas?
I think not.
Carrier leads the NHL with 195 hits. Certainly the man could use some more padding for his shoulders. Perhaps some Legion of Doom-inspired shoulder pads would do the trick, assuming that doesn’t break any of the NHL’s safety guidelines.
Ryan Carpenter
Carpenter, a noted family man, was more excited about being with has family than getting any particular item from Santa on Christmas. What a guy.
“I feel like we have enough stuff in our house now. Nothing crazy,” he said. “When you’re married, you just kind of get stuff when you need it sometimes. It’s different when you’re a kid. You’ve got to wait until Christmas to get what you want. We’re probably just looking forward to spoiling our son and seeing him excited about Christmas and Santa Claus.”
Carpenter did mention that it would be nice to get a bean bag chair, however.
Oscar Lindberg
Lindberg doesn’t care about the material things for Christmas. He just wants a taste of the holiday spirit.
“I just want Swedish Christmas food, that’s all I care about. Traditional Swedish Christmas food.”
But what does Swedish Christmas food entail? Lindberg mentioned glogg in particular, which is more or less a combination of red wine, sugar, cinnamon (or ginger) and an orange slice.
Sign me up.
“There’s a bunch of stuff. You can find them at Ikea,” he said.
Nate Schmidt
Schmidt strikes me as a simple man. Fancy clothes? Not necessary. According to the man himself, though, his teammates seem to believe his choice of attire is a bit lackluster, and it may be time for Santa to step in and help solve that issue.
“A lot of guys have been on my wardrobe lately, so maybe some new clothes.”
Schmidt’s quite a character, so I suggested a zebra-striped tuxedo, but he seems to want something a little more traditional.
“I’m thinking more of my every-day stuff. Although I had something on my list, but I ended up buying it for myself.”
A relatable problem.
Alex Tuch
Does Tuch believe in Santa Claus? Absolutely.
“He’s very real. The realest. The realest of reals.”
For a while, Tuch really couldn’t think of anything that he’d like from Santa. He’s a man of the people, and he prefers distributing gifts more so than receiving them.
“I’ve become more of a gift-giver, especially with a little brother and sister, I like spending money on them and treating them and stuff like that. Almost being Santa Claus in a way.”
After much deliberation, Tuch did eventually figure out what he’d like to get from Saint Nick.
“Oh, I need a new charger. Have you ever had one of those 10-foot long chargers? I have a 10-foot long charger and it starting going wack, it’s broken now, so I have this three-foot long charger and I’m, like, rolling over getting uncomfortable.”
My charger is three feet long, and the struggle is very real, so Tuch’s request for a new phone charger from Santa is a pretty good one.
Jonathan Marchessault
Like Ryan Carpenter, Jonathan Marchessault’s a family man. Playing in the NHL means spending a lot of time away from home, and Marchessault just wants to see his loved ones. Very admirable.
“Just time with my family. That’s the only thing I want. We’ve been on the road, I’ve been away a lot, and it’s been hard not seeing the kids and the wife.”
William Karlsson
First thing’s first, let’s get down to brass tacks. William Karlsson? Huge believer in Santa Claus. He knows what’s up when presents just magically appear under his Christmas tree. Wild Bill isn’t being fooled.
“Who’s delivering the presents? He’s real,” said Karlsson.
Regarding what he’d like to get from the big bearded man in the red suit, he seems to have his sights set in the electronics department. That does not include an electric toothbrush, though, which Karlsson says he already has.
“Maybe I want Super Smash Bros for my Nintendo Switch,” he said. “It was one of my favorites when a grew up, and they have a new Super Smash out now, so maybe I should try that.”