Jack Eichel's father didn't believe in Eichel's NHL future until last spring
Any athlete's biggest supporters are usually his or her parents, but it seems Jack Eichel's father, Rob Eichel, was a bit of a doubter when it came to Eichel's future as an NHL star.
The elder Eichel joined the Buffalo Sabres for the annual Parents Trip, and he participated in a Q&A with the Sabres website about what a younger Jack was like growing up. When asked whether there was a moment when he realized Jack would be able to play in the NHL, Rob Eichel gave this surprising answer.
Via the Buffalo Sabres website:
"No, never. I was surprised when he got a full scholarship to play college hockey and people started saying, 'Well, he might have a chance to play pro hockey,'" Rob Eichel said. "I didn’t believe it. Then finally, after his season at Boston University, I believed it."
Rob Eichel was probably one of very few people who was surprised by Eichel's pro hockey chances. Jack left his home in North Chelmsford, Mass. for the United States National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. when he was 15 years old despite the fact that the program is for U-17 and U-18 teams.
Eichel signed his letter of intent to play at Boston University when he was 17, and he had already been named as a second-team All-Star in the United States Hockey League, which is home to players who are usually 18-20 years old. He had also drawn significant attention from NHL scouts and was already projected to be a top pick for the 2015 NHL Draft.
But it was hard to deny Eichel was bound to be a star following a historic rookie season at Boston University. Eichel became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey's highest honor, and was the second freshman to do so, as Paul Kariya won it as a freshman in 1993.
Eichel set a program record at BU for points in a season by a rookie with 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists) in 40 games. He led all of college hockey in scoring last season and led the Terriers to a Frozen Four final.
Although Eichel is not scoring at the same pace in the NHL, he has still been one of the Sabres' best players, ranking third in scoring for Buffalo with 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 47 games. He is currently tied with Detroit Red Wings rookie Dylan Larkin for the third-most points by a rookie in the NHL. Both Larkin and Eichel, however, are just 19 years old and are younger than rookie scoring leader Artemi Panarin (24 years old) and second-ranked Max Domi (20 years old).
Arielle Aronson writes about the NHL for FOX Sports. You can follow her on Twitter @aharonson28.
