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ST. PAUL, Minn. — For years, Luke Kunin watched as his girlfriend, then fiancée, then spouse, Sophia, supported his profession.
She was a shoulder to lean on when issues obtained robust in Minnesota. Moved to Nashville when he was traded there. Was a continuing through the hardest season of his professional profession — final yr with the San Jose Sharks, when he tore his ACL.
So Kunin can’t wait to stroll into Xcel Vitality Heart — the world the place he started his NHL profession as a Minnesota Wild rookie seven years in the past — on Saturday with the shoe on the opposite foot. The 1 p.m. CDT sport can be his first time watching Sophia play on the highest degree in particular person, as she’ll take the ice with Minnesota’s Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League staff to face Boston in its regular-season dwelling finale forward of subsequent month’s playoffs.
“I’ll get to see what it’s all about,” Luke stated. “I’ve watched her video games on the web all yr — as a lot as I can with our schedule — however I consider all of the issues she’s sacrificed for me through the years so I can reside out my dream. I can’t wait to be there to assist her and watch her reside her dream.”
Luke and Sophia Kunin’s relationship has helped them come via a lot to reach at this level. Assembly as youngsters. Watching one another excel in hockey. Turning into faculty sweethearts. And Luke being Sophia’s “rock each step of the way in which” after essentially the most traumatic occasion of her life, the demise of her youthful brother, Drake, initially of her sophomore yr.
Luke, 26, is a hard-nosed, hard-working ahead for the Sharks who hails from suburban St. Louis. Sophia, 27, who grew up in Wayzata, Minn., and is now one in every of PWHL Minnesota’s quickest, most dependable forwards, was often known as Sophia Shaver till the Kunins had been married final summer season within the Twin Cities.
They’re the one husband and spouse skilled hockey gamers of their respective prime leagues in North America.
For now.
“I feel the extra our league’s round, the extra we’re going to begin to see it,” stated U.S. Hockey Corridor of Famer Natalie Darwitz, GM of PWHL Minnesota and a two-time NCAA champion with the College of Minnesota. “To not say that romances are going to occur left and proper on the rink, however as extra franchises begin to share services and we’re round, it solely is sensible as a result of who higher to grasp the opposite’s schedule and dedication than one other skilled hockey participant.
“To me, Luke and Sophia is such a cool story. It’d be even cooler if Luke nonetheless performed for the Wild.”
Luke and Sophia met on the College of Wisconsin earlier than their freshman years. Luke was an incoming males’s hockey participant for a Badgers staff he’d in the end captain as a sophomore. Sophia was an incoming ladies’s hockey participant for a Badgers staff she’d in the end captain and assist result in an NCAA championship with the successful aim within the title sport.
At Wisconsin, athletes normally come to Madison for summer season coaching earlier than the college yr begins.
“We really had been each in the identical dorm,” Sophia recalled. “It was a small dorm with us — ladies’s hockey — males’s hockey, each basketballs after which some monitor folks. We had plenty of time on our palms so we’d hang around on a regular basis. We’d see one another on the rink. Began off as mates after which actually shortly simply began courting within the fall of our freshman yr.”
Sophia and Luke Kunin’s relationship started as Badgers. (Courtesy of Sophia Kunin)
They’ve been collectively since, though as a result of Luke performs for San Jose and Sophia was a part of the Minnesota staff within the inaugural PWHL season, they had been newlyweds who not often obtained to see one another throughout this primary yr as husband and spouse.
Wild winger Marcus Foligno could also be six years older than Luke, however the two hit it off instantly when Luke arrived in Minnesota as a rookie, changing into such good buddies that Foligno was a groomsman within the Kunins’ wedding ceremony, together with Luke’s former Nashville Predators teammate Colton Sissons and childhood finest pal Matthew Tkachuk.
In early March, when the Sharks got here to Minnesota for his or her first go to of 2023-24, Foligno was so excited to see his previous pal that he requested if he wished to have dinner the night time earlier than the sport. He forgot, in fact, that Luke would in all probability reasonably spend a while together with his spouse.
“He’s like, ‘Dude, I haven’t seen Sophia in two months,’” Foligno stated, laughing. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s proper. You guys have a loopy life-style.’ I don’t understand how they do it. I’d go insane if I didn’t see my spouse on a regular basis, particularly the primary yr of our marriage.”
However as robust as it’s, the Kunins have carried out the long-distance factor usually of their relationship since Kunin left Wisconsin after his sophomore yr to show professional.
“It’s robust, however we’re form of used to it,” Sophia stated. “We’ve been aside plenty of our lives. And with each of our schedules, we form of have the identical schedule. So we’re each unavailable to one another all through the day. We’re right here on the rink after which we get to catch up at night time.”
Added Luke, “We each love enjoying and each love what we’re doing and simply need to get pleasure from it so long as we are able to or so long as each of us need to do it, I assume. Yeah, it’s robust being separated. You need to see one another. But it surely’s cool to see every little thing that she’s been doing and the way in which the league’s going, how a lot enjoyable she’s having.”
Sophia had simply performed a weekend collection in opposition to St. Cloud State when she obtained the devastating name from her dad and mom, Cristen and Tom, on Oct. 2, 2016, that Drake had taken his personal life. A highschool hockey and lacrosse participant, an avid outdoorsman who liked searching and fishing, Drake was solely 17.
“He was a really blissful, regular, fashionable man,” Sophia stated. “That’s why it got here as such a shock to all of us as a result of we’d’ve by no means seen the indicators. He appeared to have every little thing collectively, however he was struggling on the within and didn’t need to open up.”
Sophia along with her brother, Drake. (Courtesy of Sophia Kunin)
Sophia returned dwelling however got here again to highschool every week later. She buried herself in as a lot schoolwork and hockey as she might, however she was not doing OK.
Luke was one in every of her steady technique of assist.
“That is in all probability one of many explanation why we’re so robust collectively as a result of we’d solely have been courting for a yr at that time,” Sophia stated. “I needed to lean on him a ton that yr as a result of it was clearly the toughest yr of my life. That yr and even years previous, simply having him there for me — and he was so good about simply checking in and ensuring I used to be doing OK, it’s in all probability how I obtained via it. And keep in mind, he’s going via a yr the place he’s making an attempt to make it to the NHL, too, so he had a troublesome time with it as effectively, and I’ll simply ceaselessly be glad about him for that.”
Luke was solely 18 on the time and was heartbroken for Sophia and her household. He had began to turn out to be shut along with her dad and mom and siblings, together with Sophia’s sister, Crosby, who went to the Air Drive Academy, was a pilot who flew refueler jets and now has an unbiased contracting job in Washington, D.C.
“I nonetheless can’t think about what she was going via and her household, and I simply wished to be there for her and her household,” Luke stated. “Yeah, it was robust. Drake was such a superb child, and I feel the way in which she dealt with every little thing and continues to deal with every little thing, she is loopy robust mentally, simply to get via that. She form of retains every little thing transferring ahead and in the appropriate path.
“The way in which she needed to deal with herself when it occurred has actually helped flip her into the particular person she is immediately. On daily basis, she simply goes about her enterprise and is nice and first rate to everybody she meets. I do know she says I helped her via that point, however she’s the hardest particular person I’ve ever met. Nonetheless is, and we nonetheless discuss Drake on a regular basis when the households are collectively, and he’s nonetheless a giant a part of our household for certain.”
Luke could be very shut with Sophia’s household, particularly her dad, Tom, who takes him to their cabin in Crosslake to go fishing and searching.
“Luke was by no means into it as a result of he simply didn’t develop up with it, however now he’s obtained an actual ardour for the outside and loves hanging with my dad,” Sophia stated. “They’ve recognized him since he was 17, so my dad loves educating Luke issues about fishing and searching. They’ve form of grown collectively via that, they usually actually do consider him as a son.”
Luke Kunin has performed for the Wild, Predators and Sharks. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Pictures)
As robust of a yr because the Sharks had, successful solely 19 video games, Luke scored 11 objectives, obtained right into a team-leading 9 fights, led the staff’s forwards with 165 hits and wore a letter on his chest. Basic supervisor Mike Grier stated he epitomized what the staff is on the lookout for in San Jose, somebody keen to battle each night time.
A restricted free agent, Luke hopes to signal a long-term deal there this offseason.
And Sophia, who scored a aim in Minnesota’s first sport at Boston, is a participant Darwitz feels will show fairly useful as soon as the playoffs start. Each staff has high-end ability, however Darwitz believes the groups that separate themselves would be the ones with high-end depth supplied by gamers like Sophia, who has scored two objectives and an help in 21 video games.
Brittyn Fleming forces a turnover and Wayzata Native Sophia Kunin goes prime shelf. Minnesota up 2-0! pic.twitter.com/VTu0tY8wxs
— Brett Marshall (@B_Marsh92) January 4, 2024
“In any playoff run, it’s your depth,” Darwitz stated. “Sophia’s a giant a part of our secondary scoring due to her pace. She’s obtained good hockey IQ. She makes stuff occur. Normally, plenty of her play is with out the puck — how effectively she angles, creates a turnover. Does she need to be on this stat sheet extra? Completely. Ought to she be? She might be. She has the potential and the ability. However she’s doing precisely what we’d like from her proper now.”
Sophia Kunin is an effective depth ahead for PWHL Minnesota (Courtesy of PWHL Minnesota)
Luke and Sophia don’t do plenty of offseason coaching collectively. In Nashville, when Sophia was a industrial actual property dealer, she skated with the Junior Preds excessive schoolers to maintain in form and maintain enjoying. However within the summertime now, though they’re each professionals, Luke does his personal factor and he or she does her factor with a gaggle of ladies who play professionally.
“She’s labored loopy exhausting to get to the place she is,” Luke stated. “And I feel it’s superior for the gamers to have one thing to sit up for post-college. It’s been nice to see how effectively the turnouts have been by way of attendance and the way effectively the league’s going. Clearly, it’s actual younger, however hopefully good issues to come back for each her and the league.
“Sophia does just a little little bit of every little thing. I’ve seen her play in faculty, and just like me, simply seeing the transition from her faculty sport to professional is absolutely cool. She’s very well-rounded. I’m simply having a blast watching her have enjoyable and simply hope her and her staff does effectively.”
Foligno obtained to learn the beginning lineup within the locker room for PWHL Minnesota’s first-ever dwelling sport. Two of his younger daughters had been by his aspect, and he hoped it will make an impression lengthy into the longer term that ladies had been about to play an expert hockey sport.
“And my ladies know who Sophia is for certain,” Foligno stated. “Luke and Sophia are two nice individuals who come from nice households. The entire long-distance relationship after getting married is wild in itself, however they’re two folks which can be keen about what they do and assist one another, which is fairly cool. It’s why they’ve been collectively for thus lengthy. To not be sappy, however Luke actually loves his lady, so it’s cool to see them enjoying professionally and having success whereas doing it, too.”
Sophia and Luke Kunin proudly sport their USA Hockey garb. (Courtesy of Sophia Kunin)
Kunin is again in Minnesota for now, however he’ll head to Czechia subsequent month with the U.S. nationwide staff to participate on the earth championships. In 2017, he captained the U.S. to world juniors gold.
He’s simply excited that in this quick keep he’ll get to absorb one in every of Sophia’s video games.
And to hang around together with his finest pal, their spunky 4-year-old French Bulldog, Rocco.
“Luke misses Rocco greater than me when he’s away,” Sophia stated.
“He’s my favourite,” Luke joked. “However Sophia may take just a little higher care of him than I might in San Jose, so he stays right here. It’s all the time robust leaving him, particularly as a result of after I come again, he pouts at first as a result of he’s so mad I used to be gone. He will get over it, however the cycle all the time repeats itself.”
This has been an extended, lengthy yr for the Kunins being separated. On their wedding ceremony day final July, Luke stole the present on the reception by grabbing the mic and singing rock n’ roll songs like Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin Down.”
“He’s not a superb singer in any respect, by the way in which,” Sophia cracked.
A number of NHLers had been there, together with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Sissons, Dante Fabbro, Ryan Hartman, Jordan Greenway and Foligno.
A number of of Sophia’s former teammates had been bridesmaids, together with Abby Roque, who performs for PWHL New York.
“Abby is form of the Matthew Tkachuk of our league: talks smack, form of a rat, so naturally we paired them collectively as bridesmaid and groomsman they usually walked down the aisle collectively,” Sophia stated, laughing.
Nick Kunin, Austin Haglund, Matthew Tkachuk, Luke Kunin, Matthew Freytag, Colton Sissons and Marcus Foligno with Sophia Kunin in entrance on wedding ceremony day. (Courtesy of Sophia Kunin)
That is life as an NHL-PWHL couple. Having fun with the moments they get collectively and appreciating one another’s careers as they attempt to fulfill the identical desires.
Even Grier stated, “I hear it in Luke’s voice when he talks concerning the league and talks about Sophia. He’s so happy with her and will get such enjoyment watching her play hockey.”
“I feel we’re each tremendous grateful that we, one, met in faculty and obtained to play faculty hockey, however then to proceed our careers each professionally,” Sophia stated. “It’s an excellent distinctive expertise. It’s very nice to only have another person that’s going via the very same factor as you. Our seasons are happening on the identical time. We get to speak concerning the highs and lows.
“To have somebody like that as your associate is absolutely particular for us.”
(Prime photographs courtesy of Sophia Kunin)
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