PHILADELPHIA -- Travis Sanheim got his first taste of how loud Philadelphia Flyers fans can be Friday night, and he liked what he heard.

After the "Let's go Flyers!" chants had subsided, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall called Sanheim's name as the No. 17 pick at the 2014 NHL Draft, held at Wells Fargo Center for the first time.

PHILADELPHIA -- A hat trick of firsts took place in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center on Friday.

It began when Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon ended months of speculation by taking Aaron Ekblad of the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League, the first defenseman selected No. 1 at the draft in eight years. The Buffalo Sabres then made center Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice in the Western Hockey League the highest-drafted Reinhart in family history with the No. 2 choice.

The Edmonton Oilers kept the theme of firsts going when GM Craig MacTavish made center Leon Draisaitl of the Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) the highest German-trained player selected at the draft with the No. 3 choice.

The 2014 NHL Draft will be a family affair for many of the 210 players who will hear their names called at Wells Fargo Center.

Some are sons of former players, others have brothers, uncles, cousins or other relatives who've spent time as players or coaches or have been drafted by an NHL team. Here are some of the players likely to be selected who have a previous connection to hockey:

PHILADELPHIA -- Expect the unexpected when hunting season officially opens this weekend for scouts and general managers at the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center.

The first round of the two-day event will be held Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TSN, RDS); rounds 2-7 will take place Saturday (10 a.m. ET; NHL Network).

The phone lines of numerous general managers on the draft floor figured to be buzzing with activity prior to and during the opening round as teams look to make deals. The Anaheim Ducks made the first big move, acquiring Ryan Kesler from the Vancouver Canucks for a package that included the No. 24 pick as well as forward Nick Bonino and defenseman Luca Sbisa.

PHILADELPHIA -- The goal of every prospect who will hear his name called at the 2014 NHL Draft is to play in the NHL as soon as the 2014-15 season.

While some can only hope that will happen, more than a few are expecting to be on the NHL team that drafts them when the new season opens in October. It's not an arrogant belief, but one that comes from the amount of trust they have in themselves, the work they've done to this point and the willingness to do even more to reach that top level.

PHILADELPHIA -- The 2014 NHL Draft would have been a memorable experience for Anthony DeAngelo and Kasperi Kapanen no matter where it was held. The fact that it's at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia makes the event even more special for the two top prospects.

DeAngelo, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound defenseman, grew up in Sewell, N.J., a 25-minute drive from Philadelphia. Kapanen, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward, lived in nearby Shamong, N.J., between the ages of 7 and 12 when his father, Sami, played for the Philadelphia Flyers.

DeAngelo, who had 15 goals and 56 assists in 51 games for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League this season, will have about 150 family members and friends in attendance for the first round of the draft Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TSN, RDS).

PHILADELPHIA -- The clock is close to striking midnight for any player eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center this weekend.

The hard work, sleepless nights and sacrifices all come down to this two-day event. The first round will be held Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TSN) and rounds 2-7 will take place Saturday (10 a.m. ET; NHL Network).

"We've all been thinking about it," Sarnia Sting defenseman Anthony DeAngelo told NHL.com. "In the beginning you always say you can't wait for the draft … you just can't wait. And now so close to happening, it's kind of unbelievable. Whatever happens will be a great for all of us."

PHILADELPHIA -- Kootenay Ice center Sam Reinhart politely introduced himself to a group of six young skaters of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation at the beautifully refurbished Scanlon Ice Rink on Thursday before finally asking if anyone had any questions of him.

"I do," 11-year-old Philadelphia native Yasir Terry boldly announced.

"When you get drafted, can you give me a shout out on stage?"

Reinhart, one of six North American prospects on hand to help run a top prospects clinic in the downtown section of the city, smiled and said, "Hmm, I don't know if I can. But I'll see what I can do."

Terry smiled before getting instruction on how to run the drill at the skating station he was a part of at the time.

It was actually one of the more common requests of the afternoon when members of the Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, aged 8-12, were able to go shoulder-to-hip alongside the top 2014 draft prospects.

PHILADELPHIA -- When the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation was created in 2005, the goal was to use hockey as a way to help in-need children around the Philadelphia region.

In the nine years that have passed since, the foundation has grown to serve more than 3,000 children at rinks in Philadelphia and New Jersey. The foundation also has renovated and assumed management of five Philadelphia-owned ice rinks.

Another milestone was reached Thursday when six of the top prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft -- Kingston Frontenacs center Samuel Bennett, Barrie Colts defenseman Aaron Ekblad, Kootenay Ice center Sam Reinhart, Prince Albert Raiders center Leon Draisaitl, Oshawa Generals left wing Michael Dal Colle and Sarnia Sting defenseman Anthony DeAngelo -- helped run a clinic for about 40 Snider Hockey kids at Scanlon Rink in the Kensington section of the city.

Scouts who have spent the last year evaluating the prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft can agree on one thing: This year's class is one of the most difficult in recent memory to evaluate.

That difficulty starts at the top, where with less than 48 hours to go before the start of the draft Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TSN, RDS), there's no consensus as to who will be the first player picked.