Key facts
Team: Penticton Vees (BCHL)
Hometown: Norwell, Mass.
Position: Forward
Shoots: Right
Size: 6-0, 167
Age: 20
Notable: Recorded 34 points (15-19-34) in 56 regular-season games and two points (1-1-2) in five postseason contests with Penticton this past season. Registered four points (2-2-4) in 39 regular-season matches and one assist in two Clark Cup playoff contests with USHL Youngstown in 2018-19 after appearing in two games with the Phantoms the previous season. Played four years (2014-18) at Thayer Academy.
Favorites
Food: Lobster
TV show: “Impractical Jokers”
Movie: “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan”
Actor: Adam Sandler
Actress: Jennifer Aniston
Book: “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan
Video game: EA Sports NHL20
Vacation spot: “I went to Cabo once. That was pretty good.”
Non-hockey athlete: Tom Brady
Sport other than hockey: Lacrosse
Type of goal: “Coming down the left-side wing, cut across the middle, and then a shot from the top of the circle that goes over the glove.”
Equipment
Helmet: Bauer
Stick: Bauer
Gloves: Bauer
Skates: CCM
The Interview
Your dad, Tony, played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. Your brother, Ty, is a junior at Boston University and plays for the Terriers. What’s it like to be part of such a prominent hockey family?
“It’s fun always being around the rink. My dad used to take me when he played; I’d go to the rink and hang out all day. I’d go hit the ice with my brother. It’s definitely fun to challenge your family members and it makes it real competitive in the house.”
What’s your favorite hockey moment from when you were growing up?
“It would be the time I spent with the South Shore Kings. We were a really good team and we had so much fun every day. Showing up to the rink and playing for them was a good experience for me. Other than that, it was being at the rink with my dad when he played in Calgary with the Flames. I remember having fun on the ice before they went out and practiced.”
You played four seasons (2014-18) at Thayer Academy, where your dad is the head coach. How did playing for Thayer help you grow and develop?
“Thayer is a great spot to grow and develop. There are guys who are so much older than you when you are a freshman and a sophomore, and you grow into a role where you go from learning to being the guy who has to step up and help the team. It’s fun playing for your school, too. All the people from the school come to the games.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received from your dad?
“When I was going into Thayer my freshman year, my dad told me that respect is earned, not given. That’s something that’s stuck with me throughout my career. No one is going to respect you just for anything, you have to go out and prove it yourself.”
You chose to play for the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League this past season. Ty played one season with the Vees in 2016-17. Why did you choose to play for them?
“I heard nothing but good things from Ty about his time in Penticton. He enjoyed it. But (Vees coach, general manager and president) Fred Harbinson was one of the only coaches in the league who reached out to me; he sounded like he really wanted me. And Penticton sounded like a place that I would definitely be interested in, so I jumped on the opportunity.”
How did playing for the Vees help you grow and develop?
“Freddy placed me in a lot of roles where I got a lot of opportunities to play. It helped me offensively, as I worked on trying to score and getting around the net.”
What was your favorite moment in the BCHL?
“My favorite moment was my first game. I had two goals. It was fun to get the feel of how things are there, and that was a fun game.” (Vees at Trail Smoke Eaters on Sept. 6, 2019)
What’s been the toughest challenge you’ve faced so far in your career and how did you overcome it?
“I’d say injuries. I broke both of my collarbones in high school — not at the same time. When you get an injury, you have to know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and you have to keep working. Then once you get back, you have to work extra hard.”
