Gordie Howe

Happy Father’s to each father celebrating today, and thank you for all that you do.

In this piece I will be taking a look at my top 5 father-son combos in NHL history. There were a lot of choices, and some of my selections boast more than one child who has played in the NHL.

5) The Foligno’s: Father Mike and sons Nick and Marcus

For my fifth choice, I went with the Foligno’s because they are slowly becoming a force in the NHL.

Mike Foligno had a great NHL career, and is now enjoying life as an NHL coach. In his playing career, Foligno played over 1000 NHL games, and scored 727 points, including reaching the 350 goal mark. He started his career by being drafted third overall by the Detroit Red Wings after scoring 337 points in juniors playing for the Sudbury Wolves. He played for the Red Wings for two seasons before being traded to the Buffalo Sabers in 1981, which is where he made his living. Since the trade, Foligno played 10 seasons with the Sabers before being traded to the Toronto Maples Leafs in 1991. Foligno would play parts of three seasons for the Leafs before wrapping up his career with the Florida Panthers.

This past season, 27-year-old Nick Foligno had a breakout year for the Columbus Blue Jackets by scoring 31 goals and 73 points in 79 games. Foligno was also named team captain once the season had finished. Like his father, Foligno was drafted in the first round, but the Ottawa Senators took him 28th overall. Foligno spent five seasons in Ottawa, but never fully found his grove, and was traded to the Blue Jackets in 2012. Foligno got his first chance to wear the captains “C” at this years All-Star Game, and will be a huge part of getting the Blue Jackets back into the playoffs.

(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

23-year-old Marcus Foligno is trying to find his way with his father’s old team the Buffalo Sabers. He was a fourth round pick back in 2009, and scored 20 points in 57 games this past season. It has been a struggle having to play on a team that has wanted to lose games for three seasons, but with the additions of Evander Kane and probably Jack Eichel, Foligno should be in a better environment to produce points.

4) Zach and J.P. Parise

This without a doubt one of the best father to son combos we will ever see in NHL history. They both played with a grinding like mentality  the skills of a first-line player, were players that their teammates loved to play with, and opponents you would hate to play against.

J.P. Parise unfortunately passed away at the age of 73 during this past season due to lung cancer. We best remember him for his antics at the 1972 Summit Series when he nearly attacked referee Josef Kompalla for a series of strange penalty calls against the Canadians in the eighth game of the series.

In his NHL days he spent most of his time with at first the Minnesota North Stars where he spent eight seasons with the club. He then played for the New York Islanders for around four seasons, and finished his career with the North Stars in 1979. Parise played in 890 games while accumulating 594 points and 706 penalty minutes. He was and still is a great ambassador of the game.

Mikael Granlund celebrates (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)

Zach Parise is somebody we all know well. He was drafted 17th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2003, and spent seven seasons with the team. He was elected captain in 2011, and brought his team to the Stanley Cup Finals highlighted with a 6-game series win over the New York Rangers. Parise then signed a 13-year, $98 million deal with the Minnesota Wild. He is one of the best American players in today’s game, and is trying to bring a Stanley Cup to the State of Hockey.

3) The Stastnys: Father Peter and sons Yan and Paul

The lore of the Stastny’s is one of the greatest in NHL history. Peter and his brother Anton defected to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1980 so they could live out their NHL dreams. A year later, their third brother Marian joined them, and the Stastny brothers went on to dominate the NHL on the Quebec Nordiques with Peter leading the way.

Anton and Marian had solid NHL careers, but Peter was the one who flourished the most. He played 10 seasons in Quebec where he was then traded to the up-incoming New Jersey Devils as his career was coming to a close. In 977 games Stastny collected 450 goals and 1239 points, while holding several NHL records. Stastny was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.

Paul Stastny was signed by the Blues on July 1, 2014. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

29-year-old Paul Stastny is currently playing in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues. The Colorado Avalanche took him 44th overall in 2005, and he won the Calder Trophy for the leagues best rookie by posting 78 points in his first season. He played six seasons with the Avalanche before signing a four-year contract worth $28 million with St. Louis. Stastny was also selected to play for team USA in the 2010 and 2014 Olympic games.

Older brother Yan Stastny was the journeyman of the family. He was originally drafted 259th by the Boston Bruins in 2002. He played a total of 91 NHL games while totaling 16 points in that time. Since 2010 Stastny has played in several different European leagues.

2) Bobby and Brett Hull

Bobby Hull

Bobby Hull or better known as “The Golden Jet” is known as one of the greatest players of all-time. His ability to carry the puck through the zone and unleash a devastating shot was both feared and respected by the hockey world. Hull would spend 15 explosive years with the Chicago Blackhawks, and now has a statue that sits outside of the United Center.

Hull then moved to the WHA to play for the Winnipeg Jets where his point totals only skyrocketed because of it. Hull combined to collect 913 goals and 1,808 points in his 23-year career, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

Not to be outdone, Bobby’s son Brett carved himself just as good of a career while the NHL had begun to modernize itself during that time. He is one of five members to score 50 goals in 50 games, and he won two Stanley Cups in his 19-year career. Brett was just as loyal as Bobby, as he stayed with the St. Louis Blues for over 11 seasons along with teammate Adam Oates. In 1269 games, Hull scored 741 goals and 1391 points. The 741 goals by Hull puts him in third place all-time behind Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky.

What makes this father-son duo so dynamic is that they were the first pair to both make it into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and they are the only pair to each score over 1,000 points in the NHL.

1) The Howe’s: Father Gordie and sons Mark, and Marty

Gordie Howe

At the young age of 87, Gordie Howe is still known as one of the greatest ambassadors in hockey history. He is the epitome of loyalty, and is one of the most beloved members of the hockey community. Howe played a remarkable 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and won four Stanley Cups during that time. He is nicknamed “Mr. Hockey,” and held the goal-scored record of 801 until Wayne Gretzky came along. Even for more recognition, when a player records a goal, assist, and a fight in a game, it is known as a “Gordie Howe Hat Trick.” Howe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972, and in 2007 the Red Wings unveiled a statue in his honor outside of the Joe Louis Arena.

Gordie’s son Mark went on to have a fantastic NHL career. He is most known for spending 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011. In 929 NHL games, he scored 197 goals and 742 points as a defensemen. He then went on to play another 426 games in the WHA, and scored 504 points during that time. Mark never won the Stanley Cup during his time as a player, but he earned himself a few rings as a pro scout for the Red Wings during their four championship seasons in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008. He is now the director of Pro Scouting for the Red Wings today.

Spending more time with his sons is a tempting thought for Gordie

Marty Howe didn’t put up the kind of numbers as his Father and brother, but he still played 197 NHL games while collecting 99 points mainly with the Hartford Whalers. The most interesting moment between the three was when Gordie joined his both his sons while playing on the Houston Aeros of the newly formed WHA.

Honorable Mentions: The Sutter Family, and The Bowman Family.

On a personal note I would just like to say thank you to my Father Joe and Step-Dad Mike. I love you both, and thank you so much for what you and helping me get to this point.