WRITTEN
BLOG: Wickenheiser coaching
BLOG: McLellan talks Title
Dev Camp Day 2
BLOG: Prospects hit the ice
BLOG: Benson feeling good
BLOG: Prospects prepare
BLOG: Wells eager to learn
Dev Camp Day 1
VIDEO
1-ON-1 | Gerry Fleming
1-ON-1 | Ryan Mantha
CAMP | Gambardella & McPhee
CAMP RAW | Hayley Wickenheiser
RAW | Scott Howson
CAMP RAW | Joseph Gambardella
CAMP RAW | Graham McPhee
There are twin siblings Kevin and Kelly Klima, sons of former Edmonton Oilers forward Petr. There's Graham McPhee, Vegas Golden Knights General Manager George's boy, and Skyler Brind'Amour - offspring of former Carolina Hurricane and physical specimen Rod. Not to be forgotten is Tyson McLellan, son of Edmonton Oilers bench boss Todd.
You can try, but you can't ignore the little brothers: Sahvan Khaira - brother of Jujhar - and Caleb Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Seth's little sib.
And then there's skyscraping defenceman Ryan Mantha, nephew to former NHL defenceman Moe.
There's certainly no shortage of hockey heritage at Development Camp. As the old adage attests, apples don't fall far from trees and all of the players certainly hope the fruits of their labour one day have them growing up to a similar form of success their family members achieved.
"I would hope so," said Graham of George, whose father is manufacturing a team from scratch in Vegas.
"He's a smart man."
With hockey embedded in their DNA, all of the prospects are glad to have the connections they do going into Camp. That's certainly the case for Sahvan, a Swift Current Broncos defenceman, who gets to train with and learn from his big bro during the off-season.
"It's definitely exciting coming to Camp with my brother (Jujhar) on the team," Sahvan said. "You kind of get to know what to expect before you come."
In a way, it provides a bit of a cushion. Sahvan was able to pick Jujhar's brain prior to arriving, giving him an idea of what to expect.
"For a lot of guys, it's a new experience but for me, I had somebody to talk about it," he said.
Having a family member with close ties to the game is twofold for others, like Tyson. He respects the association to his dad but wants to mould his own path.
"It's good to be around it and know the way they work and know the coaching staff but on the other hand, I'm here to make a name for myself," the University of Denver forward said.
There wasn't much Todd had to say to Tyson coming into Jasper: "Relax, have fun and play my game," Tyson said, "and just make a name for yourself."
The Klima twins told a similar chorus. Their father Petr - who played 786 NHL games and finished his career with 573 points - doesn't want his legacy getting in the way of theirs. Whenever they need advice, though, they know who to go to.
"He's been through ups and downs his whole career so he knows what he's talking about," said Kevin, born four minutes before Kelly, making him the elder.
"He knows all the little things like what it takes to get to the top."
Graham said he's lucky to have the relationship he has with his father and would actually like to follow in his footsteps.
"I would love to follow some sort of path like my father," he said.
But maybe not with the stresses that come with being an expansion team's general manager.
"Right now, is probably the busiest I've ever seen him but I know he's having a blast," Graham said. "I feel really fortunate and it's really cool to keep up with it."
Of course, the players understand everything their family members have done for them but above all, appreciate their ability to balance the rigours of the game.
"When he had to be my dad and when he had to be kind of a mentor, he was there," said Graham.
