In Defense of Tuukka Rask

Tuukka Rask, goalie for the Boston Bruins, made an announcement over the weekend that he would be leaving the bubble and thus will not be returning for any remaining Stanley Cup Playoff games. His reason? He missed his family.

Rask said in a statement released to the press "I want to be with my teammates competing, but at the moment there are things more important than hockey in my life, and that's being with my family."

Earlier this year, Rask and his wife Jasmiina welcomed their third daugher, Livia.

Rask has now received criticism from his NHL colleagues and fans for his departure. But why? Is the conflict arising from jealousy that they have to wait to see their families? From a lack of understanding from fans who eagerly awaited any sports for months of COVID-19 quarantines? Or, is it maybe a cultural misunderstanding about the importance that a father has in his children's lives?

In recent years the role of fathers is becoming more respected with an estimated 2 million fathers choosing to be stay-at-home dads, according to DOL statistics in 2012. While that may seem at its surface to be a huge victory, it's still only a fraction of fathers in the United States.

Despite the trend of fathers spending more time with their children trending upward, they still face economic and social barriers, including inadequate access to paid leave and outdated norms in the workplace, especially when it comes to paternity leave.

Another statistic from the DOL in 2012 shows that paid parental leave for men is "more limited than for women." Furthermore, fathers were also less likely to take longer leaves from work, with up to 70% taking 10 days or less. This is compared to the average 6-8 weeks that women often receive. One aforementioned factor is the lack of paid parental leave for men. Only around 13% of men in 2012 received pay during their parental leave versus 21% of women.

And yet, "longer paternity leaves are associated with increased father engagement and bonding." The Children's Bureau states that the engagement of the father positively impacts early development, improves relationships later in life, gives children a better chance for success, improves a child's general happiness and outlook, and provides them with better stress management tools.

So, why are we not encouraging paternity and parental leave, even demanding it within our fields? And why is there such a rush to judgement when someone chooses to prioritize those family relationships over their job, even when that job is in professional sports?

In an article from The Atlantic, Ashley Fetters quotes Scott Melzer, a sociologist at Albion College who recently wrote the book on manhood, Manhood Impossible. Melzer said the traditional form of manliness is predicated and taught as having two areas of focus: the first, a focus on bodily strength and control; the second, a “breadwinner” status.

A report through NPR cites a number of statistics that show it’s still the less-common option for most men to choose to stay at home. Jason Beaubien of NPR found that it’s likely some of this reluctance men are having to taking ever two weeks to connect with a new baby is in part due to corporate cultures and stigma.

But the risks of letting this culture of discouragement for fathers and stigma associated with men taking time to spend with their families can have serious consequences. The National Fatherhood Initiative found the following correlations through studies of data from the U.S. Census Bureau:

Children living in a father-absent home are:

* At a 4x greater risk of poverty

* Are 7x more likely to experience a teen pregnancy

* Are more likely to have behavioral problems

* Are more likely to face abuse and neglect

* Have a 2x greater risk of infant mortality

* Are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol

* Are more likely to go to prison

* Are 2x more likely to suffer obesity

* Are more likely to commit a crime

* Are 2x more likely to drop out of high school

So, once again, why is Tuukka Rask not receiving encouragment and support?

It's likely the answer falls in every category - and in money. But I can't imagine Rask will regret his decision. Ultimately, all he's done is prioritize the human lives he helped bring to this world. As Millenials are starting to grow their families, they also have a chance to improve our corporate cultures, emphasize the importance of their families, and demand this one other area of social change.

They can start by supporting Tuukka Rask rather than chirping him.