Kyle Baun was never drafted, but that hasn't stopped him from making his way up to the pros. And that should surprise no one; the Laval Rocket forward has hockey running through his veins.
"I'm from Toronto, so it's good to be closer to home and to play in Toronto and nearby cities, where my family can come see me play," said Baun.
"My grandfather has told me lots of stories, for sure. When I was growing up, I would always hear those 'back in my day' kind of stories," Baun recalled. "In the summer, we would always try to plan a fishing trip or some other activity. But today, when I come back, we have less time, so it's more a lunch to make up for lost time."
The patriarch was also among the group that helped establish the NHL Players' Association. And since he's been involved in the field for a long time, he's made sure his grandson has been treated well along the way.
"He gives me a lot of advice on the business side of things. He has an opinion on the kind of treatment the players get and he wants to ensure I master all that. He wants to be sure we're treated adequately, something which was not the case in his day - especially with salaries, which were hidden," Baun said. "He's one of the people that helped raise the issue and he ended up being a big part of the solution."