This Canadian physiotherapist won a Stanley Cup in 2006 — this year his son helped Denver win the NBA title
CBC
A father and son with Saskatchewan roots love to help athletes achieve their goals — and they're really good at it. Both men have helped high-level athletes bring home hardware and win championships.
Peter Friesen helped the Carolina Hurricanes claim the Stanley Cup in 2006, working with the team as a physiotherapist and strength coach. He was recently inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in his hometown of Prince Albert, Sask.
His son Jack, who was born in Saskatoon, is a physiotherapist for the Denver Nuggets. The basketball team won the 2023 NBA championship in June.
"Seeing my son going on to a career like mine and winning the world championship in basketball, it's a very unique thing," Peter said.
Jack said hanging out with his dad at the rink and in training rooms inspired him to become a sports physiotherapist.
"I saw the enthusiasm and really the fun he was having at work, and he always preached that if you find what you love you will never work a day in your life," Jack said. "He really showed that this is a great career path."
Their shared love of supporting athletes has led to a special bond between the two.
Peter said his son showed a knack for sports medicine at a young age. Peter can't forget when his son helped walk Doug Weight, a centre for the Carolina Hurricanes, off the ice after the player was hit hard during the Stanley Cup finals in 2006.
His son was still in high school at that time and Peter was the physiotherapist for the team. The Hurricanes went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Despite working with a team that won the Stanley Cup, Peter wasn't into hockey growing up. His introduction to the sport came when a position opened up with the Prince Albert Raiders, a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League.
He won back-to-back national championships with the squad.
"My passion drove me. I loved being around hard-working athletes and in Prince Albert we had the hardest-working athletes," Peter said.
Peter went on to work with several award-winning teams. He helped athletes secure multiple national championships in various sports at the University of Saskatchewan and University of Alberta. He saw five gold medals with Team Canada and Team USA at the International Ice Hockey Federation world championships.
And there was the Stanley Cup.
As their role in health care continues to grow, nurse practitioners across Canada are looking to Alberta, where nurse practitioners recently formed their own union — but on P.E.I., the nurses' union that represents them says it's doing its job.
As the fallout over fallen buildings in Gore Park continues, Hamilton officials will be turning their attention to other properties.
Fire crews responded to a transport truck fire on the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit.
When the government touts that its auto insurance reforms might curb premiums by $400 come 2027, the ministers and premier don't readily mention what's to come in the three years leading up to that.
Who poses the greater threat to the free speech of Conservative MPs — the Speaker of the House of Commons or the leader of the Conservative Party?
As city council prepares to vote on a temporary shelter village for people experiencing homelessness in Thunder Bay, Ont., opposition is growing among the area's business community.
A Toronto centre for Black art is hosting an exhibition this weekend that exclusively features work by artists from across the African diaspora.
Click on the video player above on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. ET to watch the 2024 Vanier Cup.
This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
Some Canadian seniors say they're feeling abandoned by the Liberal government's latest inflation relief measure after learning they don't qualify for it.
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.