Let's get this out of the way. Tyson Gilmour's father is Hall-of-Famer Doug Gilmour. Stanley Cup champion. Hero to Leafs Nation. Current OHL Kingston Frontenacs general manager.
Heck, even Tyson's mother, Amy (who is now divorced from Doug) has a level of pop culture relevance in hockey circles due to her mid-nineties co-starring role with Doug in milk commercials.
That's a lot to live up to, but while Tyson is aware of his family's high standing in hockey, he is determined to make his own way, never playing like the name on the back of his jersey is more important than the one on the front.
Despite his pedigree, there is no air of entitlement around 18-year-old Tyson. His focus is on earning a major US college scholarship. He works hard in practice. He has a part-time job. He is polite to a fault.
But, as occasionally happens when your father is Doug Gilmour, Tyson also sometimes spends his Saturday nights at the Air Canada Centre watching his dad's jersey raised to the rafters (in 2009) or officially retired, like last Saturday.
Voodoos brass, with an off-day Saturday, were pleased to give Tyson the time off to attend the ceremony. Some privileged teenaged hockey players would have informed management that they were going. Tyson asked permission.
Truth be told, Tyson was not even alive for the pinnacle of Doug's illustrious career. Born in 1998, Tyson did not witness first-hand the Cup glory of 1989 with the Flames, nor Killer's emergence as a bona fide superstar in Toronto, willing the Leafs further in the playoffs as the pounds dripped off of him like sweat.
But, he does watch the grainy videos and models his game after his father's in ways that are evident in snapshots with the Voodoos this season. The determination to win the puck, the dogged forecheck and penalty kill, and the most similar trait he shares with Doug, and the most difficult to teach: hockey smarts.
"I'm a smart player, I want to move the puck, use good puck protection," said Tyson, sitting rink-side at the Powassan Sportsplex before Sunday night's win 5-1 win over Kirkland Lake, in which Tyson sniped a gorgeous top-shelf goal.
When it comes to his NCAA prospects, Tyson is not taking anything for granted, saying that while a full-ride scholarship up-front would be great, it is not a deal-breaker. "If they want me to go and play for them, we'll take it from there," he said.
Discussing his early-season success (10 points in 11 games) and the good fit with the Voodoos, Tyson said, "The Voodoos called and told me how the team works. It seemed like the next level for me with hockey. I decided to give it a try."
A big-city kid for most of his life, Tyson says he is adapting well to his new surroundings, and enjoys playing in Powassan and living in North Bay, pointing out that his host family has made the transition much smoother.
"Everyone has made me feel at home. Inviting us out, going to the movies," said Tyson.
Tyson says the team is very close-knit already, a contributing factor to their hot start (9-3-1-0) in 2016-17. Tyson knew defenceman Ryan Bazzana from back home, and the two remain close friends up north.
It's no secret around the team that Head Coach Scott Wray likes to motivate his players with ice time. Earlier this season, Tyson found himself a healthy scratch, and when he returned to the ice, Wray admitted that Tyson "made him look foolish," for sitting him out, which really was the desired outcome of the coaching move.
Some players might have pouted at being scratched, but Tyson came back to practice and worked harder, said Wray.
Tyson says playing for Wray has improved his skating, as well as his ability to push the pace. Penalty killing is a new facet of his game, and both Gilmour and Wray are pleased with the results. Tyson hopes that the added skills will make him more enticing to the college programs.
Wray consistently lists Tyson as one of his top performers, and his emergence as an all-zone force gives Wray some flexibility with the way the lines are constructed. Wray indicated that Tyson's play will allow him to get scoring lines set in a way that better utilizes the handedness of the players.
When told that the coaching staff and management are as impressed by his off-ice personality as his burgeoning game, Tyson smiled shyly and said that his respect and politeness comes by "nature, and I was raised to look people in the eyes, always be genuine, always try to be the nicest person you can."
"My parents and my brother (former OHL-er Jake) are huge influences. My mom has always been there for me, getting me to the rink, making sure I was on time. She's been up a couple of times already to watch me play," said Tyson.
Tyson said that rarely does a day go by that someone does not mention Doug. He embraces the respect that people have for his father, but is not sure how else to answer when people ask if it's "cool to have Doug Gilmour as your dad?" other than, "I don't know what other dads are like."
Tyson believes that Doug has helped, rather than hindered his career. "He's always been an inspiration for my career, and how I present myself. He's one of my idols," said Gilmour.
"My dad and I talk about once a week. He watches my games online. He always has some advice, like to watch how certain NHL players go into the corners, for instance," said Tyson.
"When I first got here, they told me that they thought I was a very good player. Nothing to do with my name," and he got no special treatment either. "They treat me like I'm Tyson, not Doug," said the Voodoos forward.
It is a measure of a young man that plays hard and shows respect in his personal dealings, that whether his name was "Smith" or "Gilmour," his parents would be just as proud, and you would like him just the same.