Jacob Gendron, making his Western Hockey League debut in his hometown rink at CN Centre with the Vancouver Giants, had a tall order trying to top his father.
Back on Sept. 30, 1995, in his second season as a Prince George Cougar forward, Shawn Gendron scored the first two goals the Cougars ever scored in the building formerly known as the Prince George Multiplex. The elder Gendron also piled up two assists in what ended up a 9-4 win over the Portland Winterhawks.
His 17-year-old son Jacob is an offensive-minded defenceman but his primary mission is to prevent goals from being scored and in that department he was flawless in his first two games as a Giant. They beat the Cougars 5-3 in the season-opener Sept. 20 and won 4-1 the following night and in both games Gendron wasn't on the ice when the Cougars scored.
"I was pretty nervous coming in, my first regular season game, and I tried to handle it the best I could and I think I did pretty well," he said. "I had a good lunch with my dad (before the second game). Just seeing him really helped."
Gendron played 11 preseason games for the Giants, including six this past month, and it was fitting that his first WHL regular season games would come in Prince George where his family and friends all could watch.
Injuries and the league's overage limit left the Giants with just five defencemen for the two games and Gendron drew plenty of icetime slotting in with the Vancouver veterans.
"It was the weirdest feeling coming back to my hometown, staying in a hotel and playing against the team I grew up watching - the team my dad played for," he said.
"It was a good opportunity for me to step up and play, with only five D. Everybody's faster, stronger, smarter, better sticks, it's a way better league. It was pretty much exactly what I expected, hard and fast."
The Giants selected Gendron in the sixth round of the 2017 WHL bantam draft and he went on to play 40 games for the Cariboo Cougars in 2017-18. The six-foot, 190-pounder produced 11 goals and 25 points in 40 regular season games during the Cariboo Cats' run to the B.C. Hockey Major Midget championship last season. He dad brought him his championship ring just before the Giants boarded the bus from CN Centre back to Vancouver.
"He's been a real pleasant surprise," said Giants head coach Michael Dyck. "As far as making our team in camp, he's just gotten better every day. He was obviously really excited to come back here and it was nice to see him play so well.
"He plays on his toes, he plays an up-tempo game and he skates so well. He's not afraid to join the rush and he's not afraid to make mistakes. He's got a great attitude and he puts in a lot of extra work. His dad has an affect on him and how he thinks the game and how he sees the game and that's what happens when you've had older siblings or parents who have played, it certainly helps with their development."
The Giants came within an overtime goal of winning the WHL championship and advancing to the Memorial Cup. At least a dozen returning veterans, including stud defenceman Bowen Byram, if he comes back from the Colorado Avalanche, could be sticking with a team that is favoured to win the B.C. Division.
"It's really great to be part of such a good team that has the potential to go all the way," said Gendron, who played in four of the Giants' first five games. "We just say, this year we want that one more goal."
The division-leading Giants (3-2-0-0) begin a six-game East Division swing Friday in Brandon. The Cougars (0-3-0-1), coming off a 3-2 shootout loss in Victoria, will host the Kelowna Rockets Friday and Saturday at CN Centre. Game time each night is 7 p.m.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
