Flyers rank ahead of Phillies for son of baseball team's assistant general manager

George Velandia was born in Clearwater, Florida, the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. His father, Jorge, is a retired infielder who played Major League Baseball for eight seasons.

Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies' home stadium, is central to the Velandia family through Jorge's role as assistant general manager. But 7-year-old George is focused on the South Philadelphia sports venue across the street.

"I want to play in the Flyers' stadium," George said recently.

Jorge and Ruth Velandia are thrilled with their son's choice of favorite sport.

Ruth moved to Calgary to study English for one year after graduating from high school in Venezuela. She learned about hockey by attending Calgary Flames games and traveled into the mountains as often as she could, skiing in Banff and skating on Lake Louise in Alberta.

"I love that lake," Ruth said. "It's so beautiful."

Jorge saw his first hockey game during spring training with the San Diego Padres in 1997, shortly after the Phoenix Coyotes arrived from Winnipeg. Velandia had grown up next to a baseball complex in Caracas, Venezuela, but he'd always been curious about the snow-capped peaks of the Andes Mountains and winter sports in general.

Jorge was mesmerized from the moment warmups began.

"As soon as the players came out and hit the ice, I was hooked," Velandia said. "I saw how fast they were. I was like, 'Holy mackerel, what is going on here? This is too fast. How are these guys putting the brakes on on the ice?' I never would have imagined that, even playing shortstop.

"Their ability, the size, the quickness … it got me to thinking, 'This is a cool sport. I can't believe I never played this sport.'"

Velandia, 50, said he often wonders which sports he would've played had he grown up in a different part of the world. But his son is benefiting from the wide range of activities available to many children in the United States.

George also has tried soccer, flag football, basketball and baseball. But for him, nothing compares to hockey. He participated in a learn to skate program in New Jersey and knew exactly where he'd go once the class split into hockey and figure skating cohorts.

"I liked hockey, so I went in that group," George said. "I ended up playing hockey with all the gear and the sticks."

He loves practices, including the small-area competitions he has with teammates. He enjoys playing as a forward and defenseman. When asked to identify his favorite part of hockey, George replied, "How fast the game is."

The Velandia family has attended multiple Flyers games in person. Eventually, George hopes to meet his favorite player, Flyers forward Travis Konecny.

"He skates really good," George said. "He's fast."

The Velandia family is drawn to Konecny for reasons beyond his NHL career-high 76 points (24 goals, 52 assists) in 82 games this season, and the championship he was part of with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Konecny wears No. 11 for the Flyers, the same number Jorge wore with the New York Mets and Cleveland Indians.

Jorge chose No. 11 to honor Luis Aparicio, the first Venezuela-born player in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

"Luis was the one," Jorge said.

Jorge has yet to try skating himself, but he's hoping to join Ruth and George on the ice one day. In the meantime, he's learning more of hockey's nuances while appreciating the growing impact of Latin American players and executives in the sport.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' 2-0 win against the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Second Round on May 16 featured two Mexican-American goal-scorers, Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and Max Pacioretty.

Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin, who also will hold the same role for the U.S. at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics and one of the top U.S.-born players in NHL history, is Nicaraguan-American.

Al Montoya, who in 2009 became the first Cuban-American player in NHL history, is preparing for the Western Conference Final as Dallas Stars vice president of cultural growth and strategy. Game 1 of that best-of-7 series against the Edmonton Oilers will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).

For now, the NHL is waiting on its first player of Venezuelan descent. Wisconsin-born forward Max Montes, who had 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists) in 40 games for Ohio State University this season, could change that.

Perhaps George Velandia will add to that legacy one day. Ruth, who speaks four languages and has a background in international law, has devoted time to learning about the developmental steps in the USA Hockey structure. Later this year, George will play for the Pennsauken Pilots Mite AAA program in New Jersey.

He'll meet new teammates, make memories, and enjoy the once-unfamiliar sport his family has grown to love.

"It's fun to play hockey," George said, "because other people can join and you can have fun."