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Travis Hamonic smiles when he talks about his early Christmas recollections.

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One Christmas current involves thoughts for the Ottawa Senators defenceman, who grew up in rural Manitoba.

Moon sneakers — with trampoline-like springs.

Yep, for younger Hamonic, it was one thing he’d always remember.

“I used to be like seven after I obtained the moon sneakers,” Hamonic stated. “I keep in mind pondering it might be the very best factor ever. I didn’t have them that lengthy, I snapped my ankle or one thing. I assure I’ve had higher presents than that, however for some cause that’s at all times caught in my thoughts.”

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With Dec. 25 quick approaching, we talked to a number of Senators gamers about their favorite Christmas recollections and presents, plus we requested them to call their favorite Christmas film.

TRAVIS HAMONIC

Hamonic remembers there would at all times be an affordable flashlight within the high of the stockings that had been hung, and he remembers the nice and cozy vibe because the household sat collectively to open presents.

“Each stage (of life) for my youngsters, I’ve an even bigger appreciation of what my mother and father did for us after I was a child,” he stated.

Favorite film: Dwelling Alone

CLAUDE GIROUX

“My favorite recollections largely are from Dec. twenty fourth. We’d be collectively as a household (in Hearst, Ont.), taking part in playing cards and video games with my cousins,” Giroux stated. “I most likely stayed up a bit too late.

“For presents, my mother and father gave me a whole lot of sports activities issues, a whole lot of hockey sticks. That’s all I actually needed.”

Requested about having fun with Christmas together with his spouse and youngsters, he stated: “You see the enjoyment within the youngsters’ faces, you have got the Christmas music taking part in. That feeling of happiness you get from them is contagious.”

Film: The Santa Clause. “I hadn’t seen it shortly. I’ve been watching it with the children.”

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THOMAS CHABOT

“The household being across the Christmas tree, sitting down for a pleasant dinner, good household time, that’s what I keep in mind,” Chabot stated. “I keep in mind getting a stick, I used to be perhaps eight or 9. We had been at my grandfather’s home; it was within the staircase to go to the basement. That they had wrapped it, however I may inform what it was: a stick, it was simply what I needed.

Film: Dwelling Alone. “I’ve watched it like 150 occasions. My brother and I obtained a TV with the DVD in-built, and we performed that film continuous.”

JAKE SANDERSON

Christmas was celebrated on the household dwelling in Montana. There was an out of doors rink, and there was snowboarding.

Hockey sticks as presents had been highlights. There was one with an American flag on it; he obtained his first customized stick when he was 10.

Film: A Christmas Story. “I watch it each Christmas.”

JOSH NORRIS

“I appreciated basketball,” Norris stated. “I keep in mind my mother and pa getting me a basketball web with the pink, white and blue netting whereas we had been residing in Germany.”

Film: Dwelling Alone. “I’ve seen it lots, method too many occasions. I like The Grinch; I wore the Grinch masks to a workforce social gathering.”

NOAH GREGOR

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“After I was youthful, we might do Christmas Day with my mother’s facet of the household,” Gregor stated. “The pond would freeze over and we’d play hockey. One yr, my brother and me had been asking for a PlayStation 2 and we obtained one. It was a giant shock.”

Film: The Polar Categorical. “I attempt to watch it each Christmas.”

DRAKE BATHERSON

Every year, on Dec. 24, the household would go to his uncle Dennis Vial’s home.

“It was my mother’s facet of the household, with all of the cousins, and we’d get collectively and play a bunch of board video games,” Batherson stated. “It might be like having a double Christmas. Everybody would deliver three or 4 appetizers.

“My favorite reward was most likely an Xbox. I used to be most likely the final child to get one. I used to be fairly excited.”

Batherson additionally has nice recollections of waking up very early on Boxing Day to observe the world junior hockey championships whereas the household was residing in Europe.

Film: Dwelling Alone. “I really like that film.”

LINUS ULLMARK

Rising up in Sweden, the Senators goalie remembers wanting ahead to getting books from the Japanese manga collection, One Piece.

“I obtained them (as presents) for a few years till they stopped publishing them in Swedish,” Ullmark stated. “I’d get them as presents for Christmas and my birthday. As quickly as we’d open up all of the presents, I’d go to my room and begin studying.”

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Film: Elf. “I like The Grinch, too — the previous and the brand new, Jim Carrey and Benedict Cumberbatch.”

TYLER KLEVEN

“My dad would at all times get me one thing associated to hockey,” Kleven stated. “We had a whole lot of time on the outside rink — we had one in our yard — as a household round Christmas. These had been most likely my favorite recollections, being on the rink on the farm.”

Film: Elf

NICK COUSINS

“One yr, me and my brother obtained new golf golf equipment,” Cousins stated. “I keep in mind it was nonetheless fairly delicate out, so we went to my grandpa’s home — he lives throughout from the golf course (Bay of Quinte in Belleville). We had been all bundled up, we had toques on. We performed 9 holes on Christmas Day. The course was closed, there have been no pins and we didn’t maintain rating. Most likely no person knew we went on the market.”

Film: Dwelling Alone

MICHAEL AMADIO

“What I keep in mind most is on Christmas Day, after opening presents, we’d play street hockey on the road,” Amadio stated. “I keep in mind after I obtained my first one-piece composite stick. I used to be seven or eight years previous.”

Film: Dwelling Alone

JACOB BERNARD-DOCKER

“I keep in mind getting mini-sticks after I was 9 or 10,” Bernard-Docker stated. “I discovered them early, in my mother’s automobile, earlier than Christmas Day. The sticks got here with two nets. I acted shocked after I opened it.

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“We’d have a giant brunch collectively, then open presents and go tobogganing.”

Film: Dwelling Alone. “It’s a traditional. I like the second lots, too.”

ZACK OSTAPCHUK

“I keep in mind I’d skate with buddies for a few hours on the outside rink on Christmas Eve,” Ostapchuk stated. “I keep in mind getting an Xbox; I nonetheless have it. I had been asking for it for my birthday. They had been saying, ‘Wait till Christmas.’”

Film: Christmas Trip

TIM STUTZLE

Rising up in Germany, Christmas Eve was a giant deal; as with many households, it was when presents had been exchanged.

“I at all times needed a PlayStation. Each time one thing new got here out, as a child, you needed it,” Stutzle stated. “So, after I obtained that PlayStation, I used to be fairly fired up.”

Favorite recollections come from spending time with household over the Christmas vacation.

Film: Dwelling Alone. “It’s fairly humorous.”

SHANE PINTO

“I obtained the (Nintendo) Wii,” Pinto stated. “I used to be perhaps 10. It was my No. 1 ask, so I used to be fired up after I obtained it.

“I keep in mind getting a Bauer hockey stick. That was nice, too.”

Film: Polar Categorical

ADAM GAUDETTE

Household get-togethers had been huge. It might be a celebration on the grandparents’ houses: dad’s facet on Christmas Eve and mother’s facet on Christmas Day.

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“It was at all times enjoyable to see the cousins and be with household,” Gaudette stated. “My favorite recollections are most likely from the yard. My dad would put a rink up yearly. We’d be on the market taking part in every time it was chilly sufficient to freeze. Christmas Day we’d open our toys and head outdoors.

“One yr, after we had been younger, we obtained WWE belts and the costumes. We began our personal little Royal Rumble. I appreciated The Undertaker and John Cena. My brothers appreciated Batista and Rey Mysterio.”

Film: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey)

RIDLY GREIG

“My mother and father gave us an iPad to share one Christmas a very long time in the past; that’s the very first thing that involves thoughts,” Greig stated. “We opened it and we had been yelling and screaming. We had been so excited.

“I additionally keep in mind getting a PS3.”

Film: The Grinch

BRADY TKACHUK

“Every Christmas reminiscence obtained higher and higher,” Tkachuk stated. “I am going again to after I was younger, taking part in soccer with my brother (Matthew) and sister (Taryn).

“I keep in mind getting this mini-rink with toy (gamers). I most likely performed with that for lots of years.”

Film: Elf

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