Rivers defenseman Cade Webber blazes trail to Boston University

Rivers blueliner Cade Webber is ranked 62nd among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s rankings. (Dave Arnold)

Cade Webber’s father, Michael, stopped playing hockey after eighth grade because his high school didn’t have a team.

Since Michael’s passion for the game never reached its saturation point, the former defenseman many years later brought his son to the rink when he was 2 years old, hoping the little guy would enjoy skating. Initially, it seemed like a lost cause.

“I hated it,” Cade remembered. “I cried the whole time.”

Michael briefly shelved the idea, but he never abandoned it. “He brought me back when I was age 4,” Cade said, “and I started to like it.”