Wolf and His Family

[ahockeyguy 110]

            Wolf Stansson is lonely. More specifically, he misses his family. His father moved with him last year to train in the United States, to better prepare himself for the North American style of hockey that is present in the VHL. To be clear, there are European styles present. However, the level of play—both in the VHL and its minor-league affiliate, the VHLM—is so much higher, it takes quite a bit of getting used to. Since Stansson was only 17, his father, Jan Stansson, moved out with him, seemingly across the world.

 

            Since then, Stansson has not seen his mother or two younger siblings—a brother and a sister. They have remained in Iceland and have generally gone about life as usual during this time. “My father spent the year with me. He sacrificed everything so I could not only have an opportunity to play hockey, but also so I could get an education,” Wolf recalls. “He set me up with a private tutor so that I wouldn’t fall behind in my studies.” Pictured below, the Stansson family, about 13-14 years ago

 

            As Wolf alternated timeslots between skates, workouts, and tutoring sessions, Jan always seemed to find time for him. “I made sure he could Skype or FaceTime with his mother and brother and sister,” Jan says, smiling. He suddenly gets serious. “Family is really the most important thing. Not hockey, not this,” he says, gesturing around him at the VHLM workout facility when this initial interview was done. “Wolf loves his family. And if he holds on to that, I will have done my job, no matter what else.”

 

            At the time, this reporter was impressed with the cohesion of the Stansson family, even from so far away. With some distance, that impression has just grown even greater. Why? Because Wolf has emerged as a standout defensive player on a rising Miami Marauders squad in the VHLM. It would be easy—justifiable, even—to forget, for a while, where one has come from. Not to fundamentally change, mind you, but just to be caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday VHLM life. Not Wolf. Not when he comes from this family. “We raised him better than that,” Jan laughs over a Skype call.

 

            It’s getting later and later in that initial season of Wolf Stansson. The Stansson family are all reunited now, save one: their eldest son. The family generally don’t want to be interviewed, but they all express to me how proud they are of Wolf, and how excited they will be to see him once the season comes to an end. “Do you think Miami will make the playoffs?” I ask. They nod excitedly. A brief comment here and there suggests to me they’re far more than causal observers of the VHLM. They may now and forever be Miami Marauders diehards. One of the children, about 12 or so, says something about Wolf setting records. The mother laughs. Jan explains: “Wolf always said he was going to set records in the VHL, so his younger siblings look up to that. Maybe they take it too seriously,” he said with a smile.

 

            Then again, maybe not. When I relay this to Wolf, he just laughs. “Yeah, that is one of my goals. But it’s OK if I don’t set any records. I just want to be a good teammate, go out there, and win. Every time.” Wolf Stansson misses his family. But he just wants to be away from them a little while longer, to see this season through.