It was a family affair when Skyler Brind’Amour played in his first official NHL game coached by his father, Rod Brind’Amour.
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Brind’Amour made his NHL debut for the Carolina Hurricanes in a pre-season game that saw the Hurricanes run away with a 2-1 preseason victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning – and his father was with him all the way.
“Once the game started, it was just playing hockey,” Skyler, 25, told The Associated Press. “I had a lot of fun playing. It’s always cool to put on the NHL sweater, especially one from your hometown.”
Meanwhile Rod, who acknowledged that during the actual game he was focused on the task at hand, admitted that the father-son matchup was indeed a special one.
“In the heat of it, he’s trying to prove himself, and we’re just trying to get through a day here,” Rod told The AP. “But it was nice… a nice moment.”
Skyler was recently signed to a professional tryout deal with the Hurricanes, following his tenure in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers.
During his hockey career, Rod played with the Hurricanes beginning in 2000 and stayed with the team until he announced his retirement in 2010. He took over official coaching duties for the team in 2018 after working as the assistant coach for several years.
