Per the Utah Hockey Club broadcast team, 162 players at NHL training camps this year have fathers who played in the NHL. Additionally, lots of players have brothers, cousins, uncles and grandfathers who played in the league. Here are all the family connections between Utah HC players and their NHL relatives.
For the purpose of conciseness, I won’t include every family member that has played pro hockey. That would be a long list.
Jack McBain, who is having an excellent season, is the son of Andrew McBain. Andrew played 11 NHL seasons, spending most of his time with the Winnipeg Jets. Coincidentally, the Jets turned into the Arizona Coyotes and then the Utah Hockey Club.
OTD in Jets History Nov 20, 1988 a memorable night for both Andrew McBain and Iain Duncan as the pair record their first and only NHL Hat Tricks in 7-4 win over the Oilers. Like the Jets the two had a flying start scoring in the opening minute of the game. pic.twitter.com/bV2jg3BGec
Andrew McBain was also one of the original Ottawa Senators. He signed with them ahead of their inaugural season and went on to score 18 goals and amass 42 points over two seasons there.
If you follow hockey on X, you may know JSwish. Did you know that he’s Nick Schmaltz’s brother, Jordan Schmaltz?
Jordan was a first-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2012, when current Utah HC general manager Bill Armstrong was the Blues’ director of amateur scouting. He played parts of three seasons for the Blues, amassing five assists in 42 games as a defenseman.
After that, he bounced around the AHL and Europe before calling it a career and becoming a social media personality.
He’s currently playing for the Tucson Roadrunners, but Josh Doan started the season with Utah HC. His dad, Shane Doan, is hands-down the greatest Coyote of all time.
Shane Doan led the franchise in games played, goals, assists, points and a plethora of other statistics. He now works as a special adviser to the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Josh’s cousin, Keaton Ellerby, also played in the NHL. He spent four seasons with the Florida Panthers, then went to the Los Angeles Kings and the Jets. He carved out a career as a seventh defenseman, scoring four goals and 27 points in 212 games.
Here’s one you may not have known: Shane Doan and legendary goaltender Carey Price are second cousins. That means Price and Josh Doan are second cousins, once removed.
Utah HC’s new backup goalie, Jaxson Stauber, is a product of NHL veteran Robb Stauber. Robb played 62 games as a goalie, mainly for the Kings during the Wayne Gretzky days.
31 years ago today in 1988, Robb Stauber of the University of Minnesota became the first goaltender to win the @HobeyBakerAward, as the top U.S. college player pic.twitter.com/hX51SYCx2E
Robb was Jaxson’s goaltending coach growing up, which explains his affinity for good positioning and his tendency to deflect shots into the corners — just like Robb did in the ‘90s. Interesting fact: Both Jaxson and Robb have scored goalie goals.
Nick Bjugstad’s uncle, Scott Bjugstad, played more than 300 games in the NHL — many of which were with his hometown Minnesota North Stars.
Here’s the interesting thing about Scott’s career. His second-highest goal total in a season was 11. His second-highest point total was 22. His highest? The 1985-86 season, when he scored 43 goals and 76 points.
He now runs a hockey camp in Minnesota.
If you don’t know who Tij Iginla’s father is by this point, you’re probably living under a rock. Jarome Iginla is one of the all-time greats.
The first-ballot Hall of Famer scored exactly 1,300 points during his 21-year NHL career. Like Shane Doan, he currently works as a special adviser to the general manager — but he’s with the Calgary Flames, where he played the bulk of his career.
Jarome is widely heralded as one of the best players to never win the Stanley Cup. He hopes his sons (Joe Iginla plays in the WHL and is eligible for the 2026 draft) will be able to capture it someday.
In celebration of Jarome Iginla's birthday, here is his 500th NHL goal. 🎊 pic.twitter.com/QVO4MugoG5
Utah HC’s other first-round pick, Cole Beaudoin, is also a son of a former NHL player. His father, Eric Beaudoin, played 53 games for the Florida Panthers in the early 2000s. Once his North American pro career had concluded, he spent 11 seasons playing pro hockey in Europe.
Alright, Logan Cooley doesn’t have a relative that has played in the NHL yet, but he almost certainly will soon. His cousin, LJ Mooney, is eligible for this year’s draft. It’s still early, but the general consensus among scouts and media outlets is that he’ll be picked in the late first round or the early second round.
The two cousins actually play a similar game. Both are flashy and quick and score highlight-reel goals. Wouldn’t it be cool to see Utah draft Mooney?
