Boston Bruins rookie centre Tyler Seguin signs autographs for a group of young hockey players at the national junior hockey team development camp in St. John's, N.L. on Saturday, August 7, 2010.ANDREW VAUGHAN/The Canadian Press
Having fathers who had long NHL careers is not all that Brock Beukeboom and Carter Ashton have in common.
They were also both drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning - Ashton 29th overall in 2009 and Beukeboom 63rd overall in 2010.
And now they are both at Hockey Canada's summer development camp, taking the first steps toward making Canada's team for the world junior championship.
"We got to know each other in Tampa in July," Ashton said Saturday. "It's neat that we both had fathers that played in the NHL.
"We can share that, but it's not something you always talk about."
The two are among 46 players looking to impress the coaching staff over five days at Mile One Centre, hoping to earn an invitation to the team selection camp in December, from which the 22-man squad will be named for the world junior tournament. That event starts Dec. 26, in Buffalo, N.Y.
Ashton is a six-foot-three, 200-pound power winger from the Regina Pats whose father, Brent Ashton, played 14 NHL seasons, amassing 284 goals and 345 assists in 998 games. The well-travelled Ashton shares a record with Mike Sillinger of having played for nine NHL clubs in his career.
Beukeboom is a six-foot-one, 202-pound defenceman for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He is smaller than his rugged six-foot-five father, Jeff Beukeboom, who played 13 NHL seasons, winning three Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and another with the 1994 New York Rangers.
Concussions forced Jeff Beukeboom to retire in 1999 after 804 NHL games. He is now an assistant to head coach Mike Foligno with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League.
Both young players credit their fathers with guiding them through their hockey development.
"During my minor hockey career he coached me a lot," said Ashton. "He was always there.
"But as of now, he's taken a step back. He knows it's my career and it's in my hands. He understands that."
Ashton was too young to remember much of it, but his early years were spent moving from city to city as his father changed teams. He was born in Winnipeg while Brent was playing for the Jets, moved to Boston and ended up for one last year in Las Vegas, where his dad played in the minors before he retired after the 1993-94 season.
He was six when the family moved back "home" to Saskatoon.
"We've talked some - he shares memories with me," said Ashton. "He tries to prepare me for what's ahead."
Beukeboom was born in Greenwich, Conn., when his dad was a Ranger, but lists Uxbridge, Ont., as home.
He considers his father's counsel as invaluable, especially since he switched from playing forward to defence two years ago.
"He was easily my biggest role model," Beukeboom said. "'Till the day I quit hockey he'll be the first person I talk to."
"He's a great father, a great role model and a great adviser for me. The more I listen to him, the better I get. I take as much knowledge and advice as I can get from my father."
Beukeboom was not originally slated to go to the camp, but he was listed as an alternate and got the call when two other defencemen were unable to skate.
He and Ashton may have landed in the Tampa Bay organization at just the right time.
Moribund since their Stanley Cup triumph in 2004, the Bolts have a new owner in Jeff Vinik, a new president in Tod Leiweke, and most of all a new general manager in Steve Yzerman, who was Brent Ashton's roommate during his two years as a Detroit Red Wing in the 1980s.
They also have a new head coach in Guy Boucher, new assistant coaches, and they've been making some interesting off-season acquisitions, including sniper Simon Gagne from the Philadelphia Flyers.
They already had a trio of star forwards in Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steve Stamkos and have a budding star on defence in Victor Hedman, drafted second overall in 2009.
In this year's draft, they took a chance with the sixth overall pick on Brent Connolly, a highly skilled forward who missed most of last season with a hip injury. Also in their system is goalie Dustin Tokarski, the starter on the Canadian team that won gold at the 2009 world juniors.
"Everything's coming back to that team," said Beukeboom. "They're trying to bring the Cup back and I think Steve Yzerman's the perfect man for the job.
"He's been in the NHL for years, he knows what it takes. He's already made some really good deals. In two or three years I wouldn't be surprised if they have a good chance to win the Stanley Cup again."