Favourite son: Mom picks Leafs jersey to wear for battle of Robertson brothers
When rookie forward Nick Robertson takes the ice tonight for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he’ll see a familiar foe on the other bench: his older brother Jason.
Jason, 22, has 30 goals and 25 assists for a total of 55 points in 49 games this season with the Dallas Stars, and is currently second in team scoring.
After a number of clashes against each other in the OHL, it’s the first time the two siblings will face off in the National Hockey League.
It was a family affair last night with a chance to go out to dinner while celebrating their dad Hugh’s birthday with both kids in town.
But when it comes to deciding what to wear for the game, mother Mercedes picked Nick’s jersey to wear for this matchup.
“She just wants to wear my jersey,” Robertson told reporters ahead of the game. “She just got it yesterday. She’ll be repping the Leafs jersey.”
Jason actually made his NHL debut in his last visit to Toronto, a 3-2 Stars win in February 2020.
Jason and Nick Robertson have played hockey with and against each other their entire lives.
Tonight will be special.
Tonight, they meet for their first @NHL matchup.@JasonRob1999 | @nickrobertson01 | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/jO8AigZHgT
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 15, 2022
The younger Robertson brother has registered a goal ā his first NHL regular season tally after a playoff marker in 2020 ā in seven games with the Leafs this year.
After battling injuries through the first few months of the season, the younger brother has three goals and five assists for a total of eight points in nine games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
Both Robertson brothers were second round selections in the draft: Jason to Dallas in 2017, and Nick to Toronto two years later. The Leafs’ forward says he’s looking to follow in his elder brother’s footsteps to find continued success at the NHL level.
“I just want to work as hard as I can to be at his level,” he said. “When your brother has success, you want to have success as well. It’s not really pressure or a burden. It’s just like, he’s doing the same training I’m doing and he’s been on the same path I’m on.”
Puck drop is set for 7 pm ET for the matchup at Scotiabank Arena.
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