If you’re reading this, prepare to feel very, very old.
The 2024 NHL Draft kicks off the from the Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday, and while the new crop of prospects may soon become household names, some of the top players in this year’s pool come from families that are pretty well-known already.
So grab your walker or cane and let’s dive into the eight NHL stars who have sons expecting to hear their name called this weekend.
Tij Iginla, C
Jarome Iginla’s son is ranked the No. 9 prospect overall by NHL Central Scouting and should hear his name pretty early on. It certainly helps when your father is a Hall of Famer with more than 600 goals and assists each, but Tij has made himself standout just fine on his own.
Iginla has shown himself to be an excellent goal scorer with elite agility, making him a valuable piece to a NHL roster. While not a bulky guy, Iginla is projected to land somewhere in this range at the draft thanks to his scoring touch and tenacious attitude with and without the puck.
Ryder Ritchie, RW
The Prince Albert Raiders product is the son of Byron Ritchie, who was selected in the seventh round of the 1995 draft and went on to play more than 300 games in the NHL. Ryder will get drafted much earlier than his father did. He’s considered the 19th-best North American skater.
Aatos Koivu, C
It seems like Saku Koivu just retired and now his son is getting ready to enter the league. Between Saku, and uncle Mikko, the Finnish prospect has plenty of NHL blood in his DNA. Aatos is the No. 27 ranked international skater.
Max Plante, LW
Plante’s father, Derek, was the 161st overall pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 1989. A decade later he was winning the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars. These days he’s an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Miroslav Satan Jr., C
The elder Miroslav Satan played more than 1,000 games in the NHL with 735 points, 464 penalty minutes and one of the funniest tweets in hockey history. Satan also won a Stanley Cup in 2009, but the tweet still might be his crowning achievement.
Keep praying hard Greg…😉and sure it will happen.
— Miroslav Šatan (@miro81s) May 23, 2018
Noah Lapointe, D
Martin Lapointe won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998, then was named captain of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2006. His son, Noah, is a defensive prospect who needs some time to develop still, but there’s solid pedigree here.
Lukas Fischer, D
The No. 45 ranked international skater is the son of Jiri Fischer, who won the cup with Detroit in 2002. Fischer’s career ended three years later after he went into cardiac arrest on the bench during a game in 2005. Fischer survived and joined the Red Wings’ player development staff soon after.
William Samuelsson, C
William’s father, Mikael, played in the NHL from 2000-2014 and is a member of the elusive Triple Gold club, winning a World Championship with Sweden in 2006, an Olympic gold medal and a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings. He’s currently working for the Vancouver Canucks’ player development department.
