NHL bloodlines run through the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
Luke Recchi of the Chase Heat and Hayden Hirsch of the Kamloops Storm have family that played in the NHL.
Summerland Steam rookie Noah Eisenhut is the newest to join the list.
His father Neil Eisenhut played 16 games with the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. Noah cracked the Steam乌鸦传媒檚 roster at 16, the same age his father played with the Beaver Valley Nitehawks in 1983-84.
Neil has fond memories of playing in the KIJHL. Along with the Nitehawks, he played with the Grand Forks Border Bruins.
乌鸦传媒淚t was good. It was a different brand of hockey than it is now. Those were the days when it was nicknamed Jungle B,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 watch the games now, it乌鸦传媒檚 not.
乌鸦传媒淚 think that (Jungle B) stigma has gotta kind of resonate through communities and understand that this is good hockey,乌鸦传媒� Neil said. 乌鸦传媒淚s there some physical stuff? Yeah, but that is part of the game. When I played there was like three brawls in a season. I was a 16-year-old wet behind the ears. Scared to death out there when some of that happened. You don乌鸦传媒檛 see that anymore or very seldom. It乌鸦传媒檚 getting over that stigma is really important.乌鸦传媒�
Noah netted his first KIJHL goal in his third game when the Steam faced the Grand Forks Border Bruins, winning 6-0.
乌鸦传媒淚t was pretty cool,乌鸦传媒� said Noah, who works to play similar to NHL superstar Patrick Kane. 乌鸦传媒淕ot the puck for the goal. It was fun, the guys were loving it.乌鸦传媒�
On Sept. 25 he got his second and third goals in an 8-2 Steam victory over the Coyotes in Osoyoos.
He乌鸦传媒檚 making the adjustment, especially to the KIJHL speed, which is forcing him to make quicker decisions.
Noah leans on his dad for advice, which he sees as an advantage. When coaching the South Zone team two years ago, Neil made the tough decision to cut his son, but it helped his growth.
乌鸦传媒淚t was the right thing for Noah and his development,乌鸦传媒� he said, adding it was also best for the team.
Neil said Noah can improve under Steam coach Ken Karpuk, a coach he describes as hard, but fair.
乌鸦传媒淭hat is going to allow Noah to kind of spread his wings. Learn and become a better hockey player,乌鸦传媒� he added.
乌鸦传媒淓very time I get a chance on the ice, I want to make it count,乌鸦传媒� said Noah. 乌鸦传媒淗opefully go as far as we can as a team.乌鸦传媒�
There are similarities between Noah and his dad.
乌鸦传媒淚 just let him kind of go,乌鸦传媒� says Neil. 乌鸦传媒淚 skated better than Noah. He is working on his skating. He sees the ice like I did. I think he shoots better than I do. I pass better and maybe thought the game a tad better. He乌鸦传媒檚 got that skill. It乌鸦传媒檚 up to him to figure it out. See how to get it to the next level. You can have all the skill you want, you have to have the passion to be a self starter, to get to the next level.乌鸦传媒�
Neil describes his son as an offensive player with good defensive skills.
乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 got an ability to find the net. Some guys find a way. You can乌鸦传媒檛 teach it, it just happens. Is he the most prolific goal scorer? No. He is having fun and trying to help the team.
乌鸦传媒淚 think he is going to take a couple months,乌鸦传媒� Neil continued. 乌鸦传媒淎nd then he will settle right in with the speed of the game. It乌鸦传媒檚 a learning process for everybody.乌鸦传媒�
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