‘So special to be able to experience this’

MILAN — Love him or hate him — and there’s no shortage of fans in both camps when it comes to Tom Wilson — there’s no question which side of the debate the Pischke family of Winnipeg falls on.

To them, he’s not Tom the agitator or Tom the cheap-shot artist. Not even close.

“There’s definitely two different Toms,” his wife, Taylor, told the Free Press on Wednesday as she watched him and his Canadian teammates rally for a 4-3 overtime victory over Czechia inside the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

“There’s the one you get on the ice, and then there’s a completely different person off the ice. I think anyone who has met him off can attest to the type of person that he is, and it’s not the same at all. It’s just a case of him doing his job.”

Taylor Pischke, as she was before their 2022 wedding, is one of Winnipeg’s most decorated volleyball players, winning seven national Canadian titles over her storied career. She met Wilson back in 2015 at one of her tournaments.

“I get to see how hard he works every day and all the hours he puts in and all the little extra stuff he does,” she said of the 31-year-old power forward, who is now in his 14th NHL season, all with the Washington Capitals which included winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

“I’m super proud of him for this, for him to be able to play on this team.”

That pride extends to the rest of her family, who joined her in Italy to cheer him on.

Taylor’s father, Garth Pischke, coached the Manitoba Bisons volleyball team for 37 years, is a two-time Canadian Olympian, and a member of both the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.

“Way more nerve wracking being a spectator,” the 70-year-old said of being at these Olympics now as a spectator rather than a participant.

“You just don’t have the control of the play.”

His wife, Cindy, was a three-time U Sports National Champion in volleyball.

“He’s really risen to the occasion and we’re all really proud of him,” she said of her son-in-law.

Does that include when Wilson became the first player in Olympic history to record a Gordie Howe hat trick this past weekend, dropping the gloves with a player from France who had felled teammate Nathan MacKinnon with a cheap shot?

“I think we enjoyed the goal and the assist a bit more,” she said, smiling.

Wilson is having an eventful Olympics, with a goal and two assists through four games, playing at times on the top line with Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini.

“We never really knew whether Tom would make the final roster. He’s got a different skill set and he’s worked real hard to be here. And he really wanted to be here,” said Garth.

“He’s had a great last couple years, just fantastic. It was just a matter of what they were looking for when they were picking the team. We always thought that was what they needed. Just happy that they thought the same.”

The family, which also includes Taylor’s brother, Dane — the chief financial officer of the RM of East St. Paul — has been soaking up the Olympic experience, including frequent visits to Canada House which is set up for athletes and their families.

Nobody has enjoyed it more than Tom and Taylor’s son, Teddy, who will turn two in May.

“We’ve connected with a lot of the families. And Teddy just loves it there, he gets to dance. They have an artist from Toronto that is playing music,” said Cindy.

“It’s just been so much fun. We’ve met a lot of great people.”

Taylor said the old saying “it takes a village” certainly applies, especially when it comes to raising a child in an NHL family.

“Absolutely. I never realized how hard it is on the wives and families of the players. They’re gone a ton. But Tom does an amazing job when he is home. And thankfully my parents and Tom’s parents come down to visit a lot,” she said.

“This season has been especially hard with the Olympics and so many games pushed together. Becoming a parent has become the most rewarding thing for us. It’s challenging, but every day brings a smile to the face.”

It’s a slightly different emotion while watching Tom and his teammates play, especially in a quarterfinal game like Wednesday’s where a loss would mean going home empty-handed.

“Oh gosh. It’s so much worse watching than playing (volleyball). My parents always said that with me, and now I can kind of feel it for myself,” she said.

“But it’s just so incredible to be able to watch him here,”

Taylor twice tried to qualify for the Summer Olympics but came up short.

“In a way it’s really cool for me to be able to experience it through Tom now,” she said.

“His making the team was the first hard part, and then we were like, ‘Is he going to play? I hope he gets to play.’ Then it was like, ‘I hope he gets a few minutes.’ And now he’s on the first line, so it’s been surprise after surprise. I’m so proud of him and what he gets to do here.”

Thanks to Wednesday’s dramatic win, the quest to reach the Olympic podium continues. Canada will play Finland in Friday’s semifinal (9:40 a.m. CT), while the United States and Slovakia meet in the other game (2:10 p.m. CT).

The two losers meet for bronze on Saturday (1:40 p.m. CT), the two winners go for gold on Sunday (7:10 a.m. CT).

“It’s just so special to be able to experience this and be able to watch Tom,” said Taylor.

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