What's in a name?
Plenty when it comes to Victoria Grizzlies' 2012-13 training camp.
The sa国际传媒 Hockey League club has brought in a few name recruits - sons of former National Hockey Leaguers - including Logan Hawgood, whose father Greg is second in alltime scoring in Kamloops Blazers' history, and went on to a 15-year career in the NHL.
And Daniel Nachbaur, whose dad Don enjoyed an 11-year stint between the NHL and American Hockey League before ending his playing career with four years in Austria.
The elder Nachbaur is currently in his third year as head coach with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League and has also had coaching stops in Seattle and Tri-City of the WHL and Philadelphia and Binghamton of the AHL.
Now, it's their sons who are looking to carve their own niche in hockey life.
"Good bloodlines there for sure and both of them want to be playing in Victoria," said Grizzlies associate coach and assistant general manager Craig Didmon.
"Both of them called us, looking for an opportunity to come."
Didmon, a former Victoria Royals' assistant, coached against the elder Nachbaur last season and now finds himself evaluating Nachbaur's son, a 17-year-old centre who also skated with the Grizzlies briefly at last year's camp, but now has sa国际传媒 residency and does not have to be considered an import.
"It's early, but he looks like he has good size. He's a good skater," Didmon said of the recruit, who played last year in Wenatchee with the Wild of the North American Hockey League. "I think he was nervous, but he really wants to make this team, so it's good to be nervous."
Nachbaur also skated at the Tri-City Americans' camp last summer and turned down an offer to return this year.
Hawgood toiled with the Helena Bighorns of the American West Hockey League in 2011-12.
"He's certainly shaped like his dad, like a fire hydrant. Nice kid, too," Didmon said of the 19-year-old who stands five-foot-eight and 170 pounds.
"He had a good year there, but he's looking for a [NCAA] scholarship."
Size and position is where the similarities stop with Hawgood and his dad.
"I'm a defensive defenceman who blocks a lot of shots," said Logan. "I think if you ask most kids they want to play on the power play. I would say I want to play on the penalty kill. Complete opposite of my dad, actually. He liked to score goals and rush the puck. I don't know where it came from, but I'm almost the exact opposite."
He carries a similar work ethic, though.
"I just have to come in and prove myself and if it works out, it works out and if it doesn't, I have a great team I can go back to," said Logan. "I just have to prove myself that much more and you have to adjust your level of play - keep it simple.
"I feel like I've prepared myself as much as I can so only time will tell. I'm looking forward to scrimmages and trying to show what I can provide to this team," added Logan, who played Junior B in Kamloops with the Storm of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League before moving south.
The Grizzlies continue camp today and will cut down to a more manageable number following afternoon and evening sessions.
Veterans begin to skate with rookies on Thursday.
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