SportsLuke Schenn and Tomas Kaberle are amazing neighbors - Sportsnet.ca

Luke Schenn and Tomas Kaberle are amazing neighbors – Sportsnet.ca


March 29, 2023, 1:16 p.m.

TORONTO — A text message arrived from a number so old Luke Shen had forgotten it was still in his contacts.

The returning Maple Leafs defenseman moved his growing family to their new home in Toronto, his third child and his chance to win a third Stanley Cup.

Hi, I’m KB. I heard we’re neighbors.

Sitting between the benches of defensemen’s stands inside the Leafs Scotiabank Arena locker room, Schenn moves across the logo on the mat to the Auston Matthews stand on the other side.

That’s how far, he said, is the Caberless driveway from Shens.

Unbeknownst to him, the newly reacquired Shen was directly across the street from Tomas Caberle, his original Maple Leafs partner, who is now 45 years old.

“It is a small world. You don’t expect it,” Shen, 33, said with a broad smile.

“Different paths in life, but here we are.”

After Kaberle was part of his own Cup-chasing deal with the Boston Bruins in 2011, the complementary D-men, one a slick left end and the other a hard-hitting right end, haven’t said much.

But the world of hockey is much smaller than one might think, word spread quickly, and Schenn welcomed the opportunity to meet with a player beloved by the Toronto fan base and organization.

“It’s really great. We were together when I started and he was a great mentor to me,” Shen said. “He taught me a lot. He is a true professional.

Shen remembers attending the grand opening of Quanto Pasta, a rustic Italian restaurant in Rosedale owned by Kaberlin’s wife, Julia, and her sister, Daniela. He has already made a return trip to support the Gaberless business since he returned.

“He takes care of me too,” Shen said. “Showing me the soil of the earth.”

What a street for a driveway van.

The next day, Shen saw Tomas’ 11-year-old son Luca coming home from one of his minor hockey games. Luca was deeply saddened by a loss.

“I asked what the score was,” Shen recalled with a playful smile.

“He said, ‘2-0’.

“I told him, ‘You better get used to it, because I’m going to come and kick your ass.’

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