Holland the Pup on traveling and hockey fandom
The lowdown on everything Holland-related starts here.
Dog O’Day: How did you get involved in the Tampa Bay Lightning scene, and sports in general?
Holland the Pup: Well my dad has been a Tampa Bay Lightning season ticket holder for over ten years now, so pretty much as soon as he adopted me I found myself wearing a lot of Tampa Bay Lightning gear and we lived right across from Amalie Arena so I would walk by the arena every day when we lived in Tampa!
Dog O’Day: What other teams are you a fan of?
Holland the Pup: The Lightning are by far my favorite team, but I also love the Florida Gators (Dad went there), in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dog O’Day: Your Lightning sweater looks great; does the No. 4 have a special significance in why you picked it?
Holland the Pup: Well my dad’s favorite number is No. 4 and he feels center Vinny LeCavalier (1998-2013) was one of the players who really helped Tampa get on the map in the world of hockey. Vinny’s number is now retired (in 2018), so it’s in honor of Vinny and his legacy with the Lightning, plus my dad’s favorite number. Vinny, if you read this and want to meet up and sign my jersey, let me know!
Dog O’Day: Where is your favorite place you’ve visited?
Holland the Pup: I’ve loved all the national parks and beaches we have visited, but so far I think my favorite place has been San Francisco. It’s close to San Jose where the Sharks play and in San Francisco I got to see my Rays play the Giants, ride a trolley, play on the beach by the Golden Gate Bridge and get lots of good seafood leftovers from my dad!
We stayed at a cool pet-friendly hotel in downtown San Fran called The Cartwright Union Square and that was pretty cool, too!
Dog O’Day: You’ve visited a lot of arenas and stadiums – do you have a favorite?
Holland the Pup: I have been to eight NHL arenas so far, so I still have a lot more go to, but I would say my trip to Vegas was pretty cool. I know it’s not very traditional to hockey, but we drove down the Vegas strip and although it was kind of overwhelming for me, it was indeed pretty cool. And I had the chance to meet Bark-Andre Furry where the Golden Knights train and that was really cool!
The LA Kings arena was also cool because there is a dog park right at LA Live! And my home arena of Tampa is one of my favorites being right on the water next to several pet friendly places. My dad is going to Sweden for the NHL Global series in November…I keep telling him I want to go, but right now he said he’s trying to figure out a way but it’s probably not likely. I’d love to check out that arena and the city of Stockholm!