Tye Kartye's parents left their day jobs to watch their son's NHL debut

Tye Kartye's NHL debut on Wednesday was a special moment not only for the 21-year-old forward but also for his parents. His parents, Richelle and Todd, left their day jobs to watch their son's dream come true.

They were more than 1,600 miles away in Kingston, Ontario, but traveled all the way to be there to support their son.

Richelle is a clinical nurse educator in the cardiac program at Kingston Health Sciences Center. Todd is a chemistry teacher at Bayridge Secondary School. They received a text message from Tye saying "Playing" just hours before the game. They immediately decided they were going to make the trip to Denver to see their son's first NHL game.

They booked a flight to Denver and arrived an hour before faceoff. They stayed in a hotel, but when they headed out for Ball Arena, they only had a few minutes left. Kartye was able to get a cab and arrived at Ball Arena just three minutes into the game. He played left wing and it wasn't long before he scored his first NHL goal in the second period.

What Tye Kartye's parents had to say about his performance

Kartye's father Todd said he was very proud of his son.

"It was utter chaos in that moment in my mind, thinking the kid has come from so far, not being drafted, signing as a free agent, working his tail off so that he can produce, and when he finally got a chance, buried his chance," he said.

"I'm a very proud parent right now as the father of my son right now. Tremendous feeling."

Kartye's mother, Richelle, hailed the dedication her son has for his craft.

"Tye has worked so hard to be here, and we are just so proud of him. All of the effort and work he's put into what he loves to do is finally paying off."