Flesh and blood and vulcanized rubber — a Colorado Avalanche family legacy (Part Three of Four)

Flesh and blood and vulcanized rubber — a Colorado Avalanche family legacy (Part One of Four)


Flesh and blood and vulcanized rubber — a Colorado Avalanche family legacy (Part Two of Four)

Family is deeply interwoven in the history of professional hockey. The Sutter Brothers (all six of them) and their myriad of hockey-playing offspring, the Howes, the Gretzkys (technically), the Hulls, the Espositos, the Richards, the Staals, the Tkachuks — the list of relatives to all play hockey professionally is long.

Dating back to the origins of the Québec Nordiques in the WHA (which, for the purposes of this article, will be included in this list), there are plenty of bloodlines that reach through the minor leagues, up to the NHL, and across the span of a half-century; based on extensive research, there are 61 total families and 131 total individuals within them who have been at least peripherally connected to the Québec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche and the franchise's various affiliate teams. This quartet of articles, presented alphabetically by last name, attempts to serve as a hopefully-complete compendium of the families that have represented the Avs franchise since 1972. Each player is given a brief summary of their connection to the team; the focus of each player's bio is to identify their connection and to provide a baseline summary of their career, as a whole.

Four quick notes before beginning:

1. Finding familial data is not as straightforward as one might think. There may be people missing from this list, but, with the information available — and hundreds of hours of research amassed — it should be largely accurate and complete.

2. After introducing each player's full name, their first name will be used subsequently to refer to them as a way to avoid confusion with other, mentioned relatives throughout the article.

3. While some names on this list are players who did play for an Avalanche/Nordiques affiliate but were signed only to AHL deals, they will still be included because of their ties to the Avs.

4. For each stat table, every player's respective numbers illustrate values for both the Avs franchise and for their total NHL stats, presented in that specific order.

Example:

The "591" represents his games played with Québec and Colorado; the "708" represents his total stats as an NHLer.

Marek Hejduk and Milan Hejduk

Relation:
Father (Milan) and son (Marek)

Marek Hejduk

Some fans may be familiar with the name of Marek Hejduk (apart from sharing the same last name as someone whose number 23 hangs in the rafters at Ball Arena), but a quick check of HockeyDB turns up no other connections to the Colorado Avalanche. That's because, while he never appeared in any actual games with the team, he did appear in training camp with the Avs in 2024 after being invited to try out for the team. Part of that was obviously symbolic, but Marek has also played serviceably while enrolled at Harvard University. The 2025-26 season is his senior year, and, while it's unlikely he'll garner much attention from any NHL clubs, there may be playing opportunities in the minors or overseas.

He has a twin brother, David; Marek is a right winger (like his father), and David plays defense. Neither is on the same level that Milan was, but the pair are both still young (21 years old) and could find their stride as late-developing prospects. The two were born in Colorado while Milan played for the Avs. They grew up around professional hockey, as Marek remembered in an interview, years later: "I remember going into the locker rooms after the Avalanche would win. Going to the locker rooms, hanging out there, we'd play knee hockey in the locker room with the other kids there from other players.”They grew up watching him play, and they, themselves, played youth hockey in Colorado, starting play in the twilight of Milan's career. The brothers played for the Colorado Eagles AAA team before their careers to a turn: Marek went on to play for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP), while David signed on to play for the Wenatchee Wild of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). They have joined together, once more, however, to play for Harvard, and time will tell if their respective hockey careers will go on professionally or not.

Milan Hejduk

There wouldn't be a 2001 Stanley Cup Championship for the Colorado Avalanche without Milan Hejduk. His role with the team was irreplaceable, and his skill was perfectly complimentary to other franchise staples Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and more. A one-time All-Star, a three-time Olympian (including with the Gold Medal-winning 1998 Czech Republic squad), and the 2002-03 Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner (awarded to the player who scores the most goals each season), Milan quickly earned himself a reputation as a quiet but fierce competitor. Milan played on some mediocre Avs teams towards the end of his career; despite the decline of play around him, he is still widely beloved for his durability and no-nonsense style of play (apart from that one time he went for a little swim after scoring a goal). Loving nicknamed "The Duke," the dependable Czech winger played his entire career with the Avalanche, and he remains an active member of the community.

For a number of years, Milan has been an ambassador and advocate for the DAWG Nation Hockey Foundation — a foundation dedicated to supporting hockey-playing families in need. Milan has also been invested in the Mile High Mites Learn to Play Hockey Program and has coached at a number of levels (including some instances at Avs' development camp). This role of a local figure also extends to his involvement in his sons' lives, as a mentor and as a coach. So invested was he that he built the boys a backyard rink — that included a Zamboni — at their home in Parker, Colorado, which is currently for sale. Reflecting on his new role as a coach in his post-playing days, Milan realizes it's an entirely different experience:

"It’s so different... It does not mean if you are a former good player that you will be a good coach. You learn from things you do that are good or bad. It’s not automatically that someone is a good coach who can educate just because you played the game. If you are a forward as a player and then you are a coach, you kinda need to know every position and what they need to do."

Milan Hejduk on coaching his sons

Despite some initial challenges, he's settled into this next phase of his career, and he remains visibly and committedly involved with the Avs and the hockey community throughout the Centennial State.

Other, notable family members in hockey: David Hejduk (Milan's son; Marek's brother), Milan Hejduk Sr. (Milan's father; Marek's grandfather)

Andrei Kovalenko and Nikolai Kovalenko

Relation:
Father (Andrei) and son (Nikolai)

Andrei Kovalenko

Andrei Kovalenko, whose career started in Québec after the Nordiques drafted him 148th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, is one of just four Russian-born players to play for the team (Alexei Gusarov, Valerie Kamensky, and Mikhail Tatarinov comprising the three other names). The stocky right-winger, often referred to as "The Tank," had a knack for driving the net and pestering opposing team's stars. In his time with the Nordiques — from 1992-1995 — he put up some of the best numbers of his career, and he helped establish himself as part of the core of young, talented players that made the Nordiques a genuine threat to challenge for the Stanley Cup.

While he did follow the team as it relocated to Colorado, he was traded away during the 1995-96 season as part of the package that helped the Avs acquire Patrick Roy from the Montréal Canadiens. Andrei played out the rest of that season in Montréal before playing two full seasons in Edmonton, then getting traded twice in the 1998-99 season (from the Edmonton Oilers to the Philadelphia Flyers to the Carolina Hurricanes), and ultimately finishing his NHL career at the turn of the century with the Boston Bruins. He played an additional seven seasons in the KHL before retiring after the 2007-08 season.

Nikolai Kovalenko

For a time, after the Colorado Avalanche acquired Nikolai Kovalenko 171st overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, he was one of the most enticing prospects in the team's system. Nikolai's first four years in the KHL — all spent with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv — were uninspiring, but, after a strong season with Kazan Ak-Bars in 2021-22 — and a breakout campaign the following season with Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo — his stock rose immensely. Every year, Mile High Hockey compiles a "Top 25 Under 25" list, and one need only look at that to see how the excitement around Nikolai grew. In 2021, he ranked 24th. From there, he climbed to the 19th (2022), 5th (2023), and 4th (2024) spots on the list, signifying his potential to be an impact player for the Avs. 

He made his North American debut with the Colorado Eagles at the tail end of the 2023-24 season, registering three points in four games, and playing for them in the playoffs before making his NHL debut in game four of the Avs' first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets. Before he had a chance to be a difference-maker on the Avs after making the opening night roster for the 2024-25 season, he was offered up on the altar of the goaltending gods and, alongside Alexandar Georgiev, was traded to the San Jose Sharks in the deal that brought much-needed goaltending to Colorado. He has much in common with his father, in that way. After finishing out last season in San Jose, where Nikolai played under GM Mike Grier, a former teammate of his father's, he returned to the KHL and now plays for CSKA Moscow (along with fellow former-Av Spencer Martin, who appears later in this list).

Other, notable family members in hockey: Danila Kovalenko (Andrei's son; Nikolai's brother), Ivan Kovalenko (Andrei's son; Nikolai's brother)

Eric Lacroix, Max Lacroix, and Pierre Lacroix

Relation:
Father (Pierre) and son (Eric)
Father (Eric) and son (Max)
Grandfather (Pierre) and grandson (Max)

Eric Lacroix

Eric Lacroix's time in Colorado was often fraught with discomfort from his teammates, largely because he was the son of the team's then-GM, Pierre Lacroix. Players feared that he would report things to his father, and it created an uncomfortable locker room dynamic. It didn't help that, to acquire him from the Los Angeles Kings — just 10 days after the team won its first Stanley Cup on June 10, 1996 — the Avs traded away their starter-turned-backup goalie Stephane Fiset, whom the fans liked. Accordingly, despite some decent production and only one missed game combined between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons, just seven games into the 1998-98 campaign, he was traded back to Los Angeles after requesting an exit from Colorado and the situation there.

He ultimately returned to the Avs franchise, working as an Assistant Video Coach and then the Director of Hockey Ops in parts of four season in the team's management system. He moved on to ownership, coaching, and management with the Central Hockey League's Arizona Sundogs, where he coached. After his time there, he re-joined his father in Colorado, accepting the role of Vice President of Hockey Operations from 2009-10 to 2012-13. After a stint with the Vegas Golden Knight's broadcasting team, he now, after another return to Colorado, is a co-host of the DNVR Colorado Avalanche Podcast.

Max Lacroix

Max Lacroix's family has had much influence over hockey in Colorado, so it is fitting that Max also got his chance with the NHL club. This past offseason, Max, a goaltender, was invited to the Avs' development camp, and, although he wasn't tendered a contract and didn't receive a wealth of opportunity to make his mark or attract much attention, he did pick up some additional experience around some other NHL-hopefuls. In 2024, he was given a look by the Los Angeles Kings; after both camp invites, he returned to Boston University where he serves as the team's backup netminder.

While with the BU Terriers, Max hasn't gotten many looks, which is certainly not helping his draft stock. He's only appeared in seven games across parts of three seasons, which isn't nearly enough ice time to show an NHL team what he has to offer. It's unfortunate: Boston University has been the staging ground for many future NHL stars (Tony Amonte, Macklin Celebrini, Jack Eichel, Lane Hutson, Clayton Keller, Charlie McAvoy, Jake Oettinger, Brady & Keith Tkachuk, Ryan Whitney, Trevor Zegras, and more) and, oddly enough, an inordinate amount of future Avs players (Shane Bowers, Rich Brennan, Colby Cohen, Charlie Coyle, Chris Drury, AJ Greer, Matt Nieto, Evan Rodrigues, Kevin Shattenkirk, David Van Der Gulik, David Warsofsky, Colin Wilson, Brandon Yip, Scott Young, and Joe Sacco*), but Max's limited deployment isn't doing him any favors. If he wants to keep playing after his college career commences, it will almost certainly be overseas.

Pierre Lacroix

Pierre Lacroix's playing career never extended farther than the major junior level, but he still put together an NHL Hall of Fame career. He was inducted into the Hall in 2023, posthumously, in the "Builder" category: this was done in recognition of his invaluable role as "The Architect" of the Colorado Avalanche's early franchise successes. Pierre began his career as a player agent, representing stars such as Patrick Roy while getting his bearings in the league. After that, he became an NHL executive while the Nordiques were still firmly rooted in "la belle province" (beginning his front office career in 1994), but he made a name for himself as the general manager of the upstart Colorado Avalanche and was instrumental in both their 1996 and 2001 Stanley Cup victories.

He is, to this day, praised by those who knew him: his dedication to Colorado and his compassionate, thoughtful approach to every challenge he faced have been commended by those who played for him, those who worked with him, and those who experienced — in various forms — his love of the game of hockey. There is perhaps no one player who knew him better than Joe Sakic did, and in an interview with Derek Van Diest of NHL.com, Sakic summed up the most special thing about Pierre Lacroix:

"I think one of the most impressive things about him is that it was family, and he wanted a family environment. He wanted to have the chemistry and the close relationships in the locker room and with the players and the wives... He was able to separate that when it was time for a business decision on what was best for the team. He would always say, 'Do what's best for the logo,' and that's what he did. You would think that with the close-knit group that we had and with us having that family environment, it would be hard to do, but he was able to separate those, and he was tremendous guy."

Joe Sakic on Pierre Lacroix

Other, notable family members in hockey: N/A

Rick Lapointe and Brad Maxwell

Relation:
Brothers-in-law

Rick Lapointe

Rick Lapointe, a native of Victoria, BC, was selected in the first round of both the NHL and WHA Amateur Drafts after four solid seasons with his hometown Victoria Cougars of the league now known as the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Detroit Red Wings used the fifth-overall pick on Rick, and the Toronto Toros used the 11th. Rick elected to head to Motor City, and he kicked off his lengthy NHL career with a career-best 33 points in 80 games.

Toward the tail-end of his playing days, Rick spent the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons with the Nordiques, splitting time between them and the Fredericton Express. In this time, his numbers definitely slowed, and, resultingly, he spent more time in the minors than he did in the NHL. But his NHL career wasn't quite over. He said "au revoir" to Québec the following season, which meant he missed the chance to play with his brother-in-law, Brad Maxwell, whose first year in Québec (1984-85) was Rick's first year with the Los Angeles Kings. In just his first season in LA, he played more games with the Kings (73) than he did combined in both his years with the Nordiques (65).

Brad Maxwell

In 1977, Brad Maxwell was selected by the Minnesota North Stars with the 7th pick in the NHL Amateur Draft and by the Birmingham Bulls with the 12th overall pick in the WHA Amateur Draft; he picked the North Stars, and he spent seven-and-a-half seasons in the green and yellow. His first experience on another NHL team came with the Nordiques, with whom he finished the 1984-85 season.

Brad moved on to the Toronto Maple Leafs the next year, and then he had a hectic 1986-87 season, which was his last in pro hockey. He began the year with a 10-game stint with the Vancouver Canucks, spent nine games with the New York Rangers, and then, fittingly, wrapped up his season — and his career — back with the Minnesota North Stars for 17 final games. In his post-playing days, Brad opened a construction company based out of Minnesota, where he lived out the rest of his life. He passed away in 2023 at age 66.

Other, notable family members in hockey: Dan Lapointe, Paul Lapointe, Ron Maxwell

Brian Lawton and Noel Rahn

Relation:
Brothers-in-law

Brian Lawton

Much like Brad Maxwell, Brian Lawton started off his pro career with the Minnesota North Stars, made a mid-season layover in Québec (that would serve as his only stint with the Nords), and had a season in which he was traded multiple times. Unlike Maxwell — or anyone else on this list, for that matter — Brian was selected first overall in the NHL Entry Draft, which, for him, came in the 1983 season. While he put together a respectable NHL career that lasted for almost a decade, Brian is generally considered one of the biggest first-overall pick busts in NHL history. Accordingly, he is perhaps better known for his post-playing career than he is for his time as a player.

He first worked as a player agent for a firm he started, Lawton Sport and Financial, and, in 2008, he was named both the vice president of hockey operations and the general manager for the Tampa Bay Lightning. In this one season, he overlapped with Barry Melrose (featured in the second installment of this series), who was the head coach for the 2008-09 season. One of his first moves in this time was the hiring of Greg Malone and the acquisition of Greg's son, Ryan Malone (more on the Malone family below). After being relieved of his managerial responsibilities, Brian soon thereafter joined the NHL Network, and he has been a staple on-air personality there for over 10 years.

Noel Rahn

Noel Rahn never played a single NHL game. In fact, he never played at a level higher than collegiate hockey. His only experience as a hockey player came with first the University of Wisconsin (one season) and then St. Cloud State (two seasons), both of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). The Québec Nordiques took a chance on him by drafting him, 232nd overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, out of high school (just like his eventual brother-in-law, Brian Lawton). After three years of sub-optimal college hockey (9 goals, 6 assists, 15 points, and 49 PIMs in 58 games as a forward), however, he retired from ice hockey (but played a single year of competitive roller hockey in 1994).

After that, he worked with Brian at Lawton Sport and Financial and continued his hockey-centric career after retiring as a player. From the 2010-11 season through the 2017-18 season, Noel served as the head coach for the Holy Family Catholic High School's hockey team. He currently owns the Velocity Hockey Center in Eden Prairie, MN, which features "Minnesota's longest-running & highest-attended 3-on-3 hockey leagues." He also works as a trainer for numerous NHL players, including some names Avs fans will recognize: Brock Nelson, Zach Parise, and Dominic Toninato.

Other, notable family members in hockey: Jack Lawton (Brian's son; Noel's nephew-in-law)

Kurtis MacDermid and Paul MacDermid

Relation:
Father (Paul) and son (Kurtis)

Kurtis MacDermid

Kurtis MacDermid, who, surprisingly, has played more for the Colorado Avalanche than any other team in the NHL, is a prototypical enforcer: a rare thing in today's NHL. While with the Avs, Kurtis played as both a defenseman and a forward (exclusively on the fourth line) when the team's injuries began to mount a few seasons ago. Across his two full seasons in the Mile High City (2021-22 and 2022-23), "Dermy" registered 11 total fights, which was almost 1/3 of all the combined fighting majors (37) assessed to the entire team during that same two-season stretch.

While Kurtis supplied some strong defense and logged some tough minutes, the best thing he did while wearing the burgundy and blue (and this is not meant as a slight toward Kurtis) may very well be his trade to the New Jersey Devils, which landed the Avs both Zakhar Bardakov and Christian Humphreys: two of the most promising prospects in the Colorado Avalanche's pipeline — Bardakov has seen playing time with the Avs this season, and Humphreys has 37 points in 31 games with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. Kurtis now plays for the up-and-coming Ottawa Senators, where he — when not watching Sens' games from the press box as a healthy scratch — plays left wing on the fourth line, often alongside fellow former-Av Lars Eller.

Paul MacDermid

Much like his son Kurtis, Paul MacDermid was known for his physicality; however, he compiled a higher PIM-per-game average than his son, and he was a stronger contributor on the score sheet throughout his 14-year NHL career, as well. His most productive, offensive season came in 1988-89 with the Hartford Whalers when he registered 44 points in 74 games (all while recording 141 PIMs, showing a remarkable ability to contribute all over the statsheet).

Paul played for the Québec Nordiques during his last two seasons in the NHL. Before that, he played for the Washington Capitals, the Winnipeg Jets, and the Whalers, — Paul is a one of a handful of players (including the aforementioned Brian Lawton) to have played on three different now-defunct NHL teams (Hartford, Winnipeg, and Quebec). There are eight players to have played on four, and the record holder is Chuck Arnason who played for a staggering five teams no longer active in the NHL: the Atlanta Flames, the Kansas City Scouts, the Colorado Rockies, the Cleveland Barons, and the Minnesota North Stars. If the name "Arnason" sounds familiar, it's not a coincidence; in a bit of karmic coherence, Chuck Arnason is the father of former Avs' forward, Tyler Arnason.

Other, notable family members in hockey: Lane MacDermid (Paul's son; Kurtis' brother)

Blair MacDonald, Kevin MacDonald, and Spencer Martin

Relation:
Uncle (Blair) and nephew (Kevin)
In-laws (Blair & Kevin and Spencer)

Blair MacDonald

Blair MacDonald spent the entirety of his WHA/NHL career (1973-74 through 1982-83) north of the border. He started with the Edmonton Oilers while they were still in the WHA, and he remained with the team as they made their transition to the NHL. In the Oilers' inaugural, 1979-80 NHL campaign, he finished behind only his linemate, Wayne Gretzky, for the team lead in goals (51 for Gretzky; 46 for Blair), assists (86; 48), and points (137; 94). Partway through the ensuing season, Blair was traded to the Vancouver Canucks and, in defense of this decision, Oilers' head coach Glen Sather allegedly remarked that "a fire hydrant could score 40 goals on Gretzky's line."

While with the Canucks, Blair also played for the Fredericton Express — the AHL affiliate shared between the Canucks and the Québec Nordiques. He was never technically in the Nords' system, but he did dress for their affiliate, so he slots in amongst his two relatives on this list. For the 1985-86 season, Blair departed from North America and spent one final season in Austria with Innsbrucker EV. In that time, he recorded 20 goals and 18 assists in just 23 games — good enough for third on the team in points despite playing some of the fewest games of any of his teammates.

Kevin MacDonald

Kevin MacDonald played professionally for almost a decade, but he had just a "cup of coffee" in the big leagues: one game with the Ottawa Senators in the 1993-94 season. His tie to the Avs came at the end of his career, where he spent parts of both the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons with the Hershey Bears, who were the original AHL affiliate of the Avs. During that '96-97 season, Kevin helped the Bears claim the Calder Cup, given annually to the championship team in the AHL.

During his final campaign as a pro hockey player, Kevin filled two different roles with the Bears: player and coach. He dressed in five games, registering zero points, and then became an assistant coach for the remainder of that season. Perhaps fittingly, Kevin shares his name with the current general manager of the Colorado Eagles — the Kevin MacDonald in this list was in the hockey ops department for one of the first Avs' affiliate seasons, and his namefellow now fills a similar (albeit quite different) role today.

Spencer Martin

It feels almost unfair that Spencer Martin’s NHL debut came as the backstop for an historically-bad Avalanche team in the 2016-17 season (which ended with the Avs putting together one of the worst records in the salary-cap era). In his only three games donning a burgundy and blue sweater, Spencer was, to put it mildly, hung out to dry. Granted, his OHL, AHL, and ECHL statistics didn't set any houses on fire, but he was not supported as much as a debuting NHL prospect would like. Spencer went 0-2-1 with a 4.35 GAA and a save percentage of 0.865 as an Av — admittedly and objectively poor, regardless of the quality of play in front of him in Denver.

It seems that front offices around the NHL agreed, as Spencer's opportunities have dwindled since his debut; he spent five consecutive seasons in the minors, and he has made sporadic appearances for the Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, and New York Rangers in the last five years. He even began this current season in the KHL with CKSA Moscow, posting a 5-6-2 record. He currently plays for the Ranger's AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, but the Rangers have three developing goalie prospects — two 23-year-olds and one 22-year-old — who will continue to see prioritized minutes. At age 30, it's unlikely Spencer will ever play any meaningful time in the NHL again.

Other, notable family members in hockey: Davis Gadjovich, Jonah Gadjovich, Tony MacDonald

Cale Makar and Taylor Makar

Relation:
Brothers

Cale Makar

Cale Makar has, in the span of just six seasons and some change, established himself as one of the premier defenseman in the NHL — not just currently, but in the long history of the league. The list of his accolades, records, awards, and achievements is too numerous to name, but there are few players, regardless of position played, to provide their team the kind of value that Cale provides the Colorado Avalanche. He's a generational talent and a perennial contender for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, which is given out each year to the NHL's best defenseman. He just turned 27, so it's scary to think that he hasn't yet entered his prime.

Before making his memorable NHL debut in the playoffs, Cale established himself as one of the most notable players in both the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) and in the NCAA, where he won the Hobey Baker Award with UMass-Amherst at the end of the 2018-19 season. At this point, he was already one of the Avs' most-touted prospects ever; infamously, despite his current star status, he fell into the Avs' proverbial lap as the 4th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Time will tell just how many records Makar will break — and how many Cups he will win — but one thing is presently certain and certainly present: Cale Makar is one of the most exciting and talented players in the world.

Taylor Makar

It's improbable to think that Taylor Makar could ever enter the same statistical stratosphere as his brother Cale, but that doesn't mean he can have a solid NHL career in his own right. Taylor was drafted 220nd overall by the Avs in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, It felt almost like a gesture move by the team's front office, as he hadn't shown much promise at that point in his career, which, until that point, had been spent with the AJHL's Brooks Bandits and Hockey East's UMass-Amherst Minutemen (the same exact trajectory Cale followed before entering the NHL). However, in the 2024-25 season, Taylor began turning heads.

Before the start of the 2024-25 season, Taylor transferred to the University of Maine Black Bears, and he found his stride in ways he hadn't been capable of doing before. He nearly-tripled his offensive output, and he did so in just two additional games played than the year prior. Accordingly, he finished last season — and began this current season — with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL; this November 1st, he made his NHL debut, appearing in a single game against the San Jose Sharks. He has played in two additional games since. He continues to develop and could certainly see some additional call-ups by the Avs, if he continues to perform well with the Eagles and if injuries necessitate, later on this season.

Other, notable family members in hockey: Mark Logan (Cale and Taylor's cousin), Tom Lysiak (Cale and Taylor's cousin)

Brad Malone, Greg Malone, and Jim Malone

Relation:
Brothers (Greg and Jim)
Father (Jim) and son (Brad)
Uncle (Greg) and nephew (Brad)

Brad Malone

Brad Malone began his career in Colorado after the Avalanche drafted him in the 4th round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, 105th overall. In each of his three seasons with the franchise (2011-12 through 2013-14), he split time between the Avalanche and the Avs' then-affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. He then moved on to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Washington Capitals, the St. Louis Blues, and, ultimately, the Edmonton Oilers. When traded from Washington to St. Louis, part of the return package Washington received was former Avs defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who was also drafted by the team in that 2007 draft.

Brad spent the bulk of his career with the Oilers and the bulk of his time there in the minors with the Bakersfield Condors, with whom he won the 2020-21 Calder Memorial Trophy. Across 13 seasons as a pro, Brad logged a little over 200 NHL games; he shined as an AHLer, however. In just his first four seasons in the minors, he registered exactly as many games as he did in his entire NHL career (217). In total, he played 552 AHL games, in which he recorded 105 goals, 186 assists, and 291 points. He also, across his time in both the AHL and NHL, amassed 953 PIMs — at 6'2" and 212lbs, Brad was no stranger to the physical side of the game of hockey.

Greg Malone

After an impressive three-year stint, from 1973-74 to 1975-76, with the Oshawa Generals of the then-named OHA, Greg Malone was selected by both the Pittsburgh Penguins (19th overall) and the Indianapolis Racers (76th overall) in the 1976 NHL and WHA Amateur Drafts, respectively. He decided to play for the Penguins, and, in seven seasons in The Steel City, Greg put up 364 points in 495 games. He played parts of three seasons with the Hartford Whalers after his time with the Pens and played out the last two seasons (after being acquired partway through the 1985-86 season) with the Québec Nordiques.

After spending most of the 1986-87 season with Québec's AHL team at the time, the Fredericton Express (just a few hours from where he grew up, in Chatham, New Brunswick), he called it a career and skated off into retirement. His connections to the NHL didn't end there, however. For the 1988-89 nseason, he became a pro scout for the Penguins, and the following season, he became the Director of Scouting for the Pens: a position he held until the 2006-07 season. He then worked as a scout for both the Phoenix Coyotes and the Tampa Bay Lightning before leaving the NHL for good after the 2012-13 season.

Jim Malone

Unfortunately for Jim Malone, one of the only noteworthy elements of his time as a professional hockey player is the fact that he ranks, in the long history of the New York Rangers, amongst the highest-drafted players to never dress in an NHL game. He was selected 14th overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft — before NHL greats like Brent Sutter (17th), Don Beaupre (37th), Kelly Hrudey (38th), Jari Kurri (69th), Bernie Nicholls (73rd), Aaron Broten (106th), Steve Larmer (120th), Andy Moog (132nd), and Hakan Loob (181st).

Fortunately for Jim, however, he gets a pretty cool consolation prize: a spot on this list! He may have never played for an NHL club, but he played in the minor leagues for three seasons, including the 10 games he played for the Fredericton Express during the 1984-85 season, in which he recorded two assists. He was also, the prior season, on the Tulsa Oilers, who won the very last Central Hockey League (CHL) championship; the entire league folded after that 1983-84 season.

Other, notable family members in hockey: Cole Huckins, Brett Malone, Mark Malone, Ryan Malone, Justin Moir, Chad Muller, Kirk Muller

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