Rink Ink: Q&A with Sam Faber

The Ice Garden has a series, “Rink Ink,” which features various hockey players’ tattoos. A form of self-expression, tattoos provide unique insights into the players’ lives — their mottos, their beliefs, their motivations, their interests. For this installment, The Ice Garden spoke with Connecticut Whale veteran forward Sam Faber.

Can you tell me a little about your tattoos and their meanings?

I have two tattoos. The first one I got when I was 19 years old after my freshman year in college. It's on my left wrist, and it's a star with a halo and says “Sweet Dreams” through the middle. It's dedicated to my mom. I lost her to cancer when I was 19, so I wanted to get something and I decided on this because she always used to say sweet dreams to me when I was younger. I thought it would be a great dedication tattoo for her and a good reminder for me that she's always there.

My second one is on my right outside forearm and I actually just got this one last year. What's cool about this one is that it can kind of mean something different to everyone because it's a quote. It says, "Accept the pain, always remember." For me, it started off as inspired by one of my favorite songs by This Day & Age which is called “Second Place Victory.” That quote [in the song] is "Accept the pain, always forgive." The reason I got this is because I feel like there's a lot of hard times in life, and life's not perfect always. For me, it's a way to look at [life], like if you don’t accept the pain, you'll never be able to move forward, you'll never be able to move on. You can always remember those good memories. That's why I got it. Everybody that knows me knows I’m a pretty deep person and I love song lyrics. I always wanted to get a song lyric, and I probably won’t stop there. I'll probably get another one or two, but I love tattoos and definitely want more.

What are you planning for your next tattoo?

I definitely would get it on my arm somewhere. I’m thinking my next one is going to be on the inside of my bicep. I can't figure out what I want to do yet - whether it's a quote or one for hockey, I haven't figured out what I want yet. I don’t want your typical hockey sticks crossing. I want something different and I haven’t been able to figure that out. The other thing that I’m thinking of is something on the water because I love fishing and being on boats and being out on the water. So, I have a couple of ideas. I just haven’t figured them out completely.

Regarding the hockey tattoo, Anya [Battaglino] said she would get a tattoo of the Whale if you all won. Is that something you would do?

I would think about it. I want to do something that speaks to what I’ve done with my career, and obviously the NWHL and the Whale are a big thing in my career, so I would definitely consider it. I wouldn’t say I’m 100% like Anya, but its definitely a consideration of mine.

Since you’re looking to get more tattoos on your arm, have you ever thought about a sleeve?

I’ve actually talked to a bunch of my friends about it, but everybody tells me that I can't really pull it off, so I don’t think that I would get one. I do love tattoos and I really do think they're addicting so down the road, who knows? I definitely want to get one or two more though, for sure.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get their first tattoo?

I would just tell them don't be scared. It’s not that painful. People talk about how painful it is, and I’m sure there are areas that are, but just get something that’s meaningful to you and something that you're not going to regret. Definitely think about it, take the time to think about what you want and, if you like it, then go for it. Not everybody feels the same way about things. Do what you want to do and whatever’s meaningful to you, I’m sure you'll love.