NHL in golden age of brotherly love
where the teams had combined for 167 penalty minutes by late November. Matthew and Brady experienced that last week, jawing at each other like opponents with a grudge to settle, although they’ve promised their mother they’d never fight each other.
“That rule will not be broken,” Brady said.
It’s likely best for future Thanksgiving get-togethers. The Staals also appreciate this shared experience now that retirement isn’t 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.
“I was like: ‘We’re going to play against each other this year. How great is that?’” Matthew recalled. “And that’s five years ago. It’s crazy how fast it’s gone.”
It’s 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. Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes looks like the Norris frontrunner a quarter of the way through the season, while New Jersey’s
Jack could be in the Hart talk and Luke the Calder conversation.
The Canucks and Devils play Tuesday night in Vancouver.
“That’ll be a lot of fun – the three of us in a game,” said Jack, who set up Luke for an overtime goal on Thursday. “It’s just a credit to our parents and how well they brought us up and how they taught us. It’s a celebration for them.”
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 wouldn’t 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 the New York Rangers were in the playoffs. As long as they’re not facing off– like they did again Thursday when Anaheim hosted Washington – “Every other night, we’re cheering for each other,” Dylan said.
While being in the league is a common bond, Calgary’s Chris and Seattle’s Brandon Tanev spend plenty of time talking throughout the season and summer. However, it’s 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.
“We never thought of playing together in the NHL,” Seth said. “We got traded to Chicago two weeks apart a couple of summers ago, which was pretty insane. It’s crazy how that worked out.”
It almost became a storybook finish of Eric and Marc Staal raising the Stanley Cup together, reaching the final before losing to Vegas. While a heartbreaking defeat, it made them appreciate going through it together.
“It’s something that we’ll always have and never forget,” Marc said. “We’ve all just kind of been soaking it in, not knowing when it’s going to end.”