Before this season, brothers William and Alexander Nylander posed at center ice. While captured a nice family moment, the video was still rolling when William gave Alexander .
Brady Tkachuk sat in the stands for brother MatthewB次元官网网址檚 playoff games during FloridaB次元官网网址檚 last spring. But when this season, all the brotherly love was lost.
Hockey history is full of brothers on the big stage. This includes Maurice and Henri Richard during one of MontrealB次元官网网址檚 dynasties, Mark and Marty Howe playing with father Gordie in Hartford, plus more recently in Vancouver. This season alone boasts 20 sets of brothers playing in the NHL, marking a golden age for bloodlines on the ice.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 definitely a sport where itB次元官网网址檚 a family thing and it takes a lot of support,B次元官网网址 said Washington defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, who is two years younger than brother James, now with Boston. B次元官网网址淗ockey is a game where a lot of it, obviously, depends on skills and stuff like that. But thereB次元官网网址檚 so much where if youB次元官网网址檙e a smart player and you have an older brother that kind of shows you how to play and what to expect, itB次元官网网址檚 kind of a huge advantage.B次元官网网址
Many of the brothers who made it to the top league in the world chalk it up to childhood mornings at the rink.
B次元官网网址淲e were just playing around, but we would compete and we would just raise each otherB次元官网网址檚 level without even knowing we were raising each otherB次元官网网址檚 level,B次元官网网址 said Philadelphia defenseman Marc Staal, who has played much of his career with brothers Jordan and Eric, and briefly Jared, also in the NHL. B次元官网网址淵ou want success because youB次元官网网址檝e seen your brother have success or you push him to have more success.B次元官网网址
Marc and Eric Staal shared the PanthersB次元官网网址 Cup Final run together as teammates. Marc said having their kids at the rink and in school made it seem like a normal family workweek.
Then thereB次元官网网址檚 being on opposite sides, such as an Ottawa vs. Florida game where the teams had combined for 167 penalty minutes by late November. experienced that last week, jawing at each other like opponents with a grudge to settle, although theyB次元官网网址檝e promised their mother theyB次元官网网址檇 never fight each other.
B次元官网网址淭hat rule will not be broken,B次元官网网址 Brady said.
ItB次元官网网址檚 likely best for future Thanksgiving get-togethers. The Staals also appreciate this shared experience now that retirement isnB次元官网网址檛 far off. Their father Keith, who played 18 NHL seasons, pointed that out. Matthew recalled Brady getting drafted and the words he said five years ago.
B次元官网网址淚 was like: B次元官网网址榃eB次元官网网址檙e going to play against each other this year. How great is that?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址 Matthew recalled. B次元官网网址淎nd thatB次元官网网址檚 five years ago. ItB次元官网网址檚 crazy how fast itB次元官网网址檚 gone.B次元官网网址
ItB次元官网网址檚 not out of the realm of possibility a trio of brothers sweeps the Hart Trophy as MVP, Norris as top defenseman and Calder as rookie of the year. VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Quinn Hughes looks like the Norris frontrunner a quarter of the way through the season, while New JerseyB次元官网网址檚 Jack could be in the Hart talk and Luke the Calder conversation.
The Canucks and Devils play Tuesday night in Vancouver.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檒l be a lot of fun B次元官网网址 the three of us in a game,B次元官网网址 said Jack, on Thursday. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just a credit to our parents and how well they brought us up and how they taught us. ItB次元官网网址檚 a celebration for them.B次元官网网址
Hockey, perhaps more so than other sports, is a bastion of brotherly competition and players benefit from seeing someone in the family go through the same ups and downs. Trevor van Riemsdyk knows he wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have gotten through Division I hockey and to the NHL without James forging that path. Capitals teammate Dylan Strome went through a similar circumstance learning from older brother Ryan, who was also drafted high but returned to the minors before breaking through in the NHL.
Just as Brady cheered on Matthew and the Panthers, Dylan was waving a rally towel at Madison Square Garden two years ago when Ryan and t the playoffs. As long as theyB次元官网网址檙e not facing offB次元官网网址 like they did again Thursday B次元官网网址 B次元官网网址淓very other night, weB次元官网网址檙e cheering for each other,B次元官网网址 Dylan said.
While being in the league is a common bond, CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Chris and SeattleB次元官网网址檚 Brandon Tanev spend plenty of time talking throughout the season and summer. However, itB次元官网网址檚 rare to play on the same team, like Seth and Caleb Jones did for two years with the Blackhawks. They were sometimes paired together on the ice.
B次元官网网址淲e never thought of playing together in the NHL,B次元官网网址 Seth said. B次元官网网址淲e two weeks apart a couple of summers ago, which was pretty insane. ItB次元官网网址檚 crazy how that worked out.B次元官网网址
It almost became a storybook finish of Eric and Marc Staal raising the Stanley Cup together, reaching the final before . While a , it made them appreciate going through it together.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 something that weB次元官网网址檒l always have and never forget,B次元官网网址 Marc said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e all just kind of been soaking it in, not knowing when itB次元官网网址檚 going to end.B次元官网网址
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