“Growing up, he was my idol” – Justin Robidas impresses Carolina Hurricanes with an eye to follow father legacy 


“Growing up, he was my idol” – Justin Robidas impresses Carolina Hurricanes with an eye to follow father legacy 

Justin Robidas

American ice hockey player Justin Robidas, who was selected in the fifth round (No. 147) of the 2021 NHL Draft, has a great opportunity of remembering a lot of his father’s illustrious National Hockey League career. For those who don’t know, by the time Stephane Robidas completed his 14 seasons in the tournament, Justin was 12 years old.

Stephane was a solid defenseman who had 258 points (57 goals, 201 assists) points in as many as 937 NHL games. On the other hand, his son is a centre with offensive skill and had 82 points (30 goals, 52 assists) in 68 games with Val d’Or of the 2021-22 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 

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“Growing up, he was my idol,” the Carolina Hurricanes forward prospect said, as quoted by NHL.com. “You look up to him and you want to see him play.”

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“Just growing up in that environment and seeing what he’s done off the ice and on the ice has helped me become the player I am,” he said. “I remember seeing Modano, Morrow, and Ribeiro. Sometimes going to the practice rink, and see all the guys and the way they work. For sure that helped, growing up in that environment.”

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Samsonov names the thing that stands out for Robidas

Justin Robidas
Justin Robidas

The Plano native Robidas must consider himself to be fortunate enough as he was under the watchful eye of Hurricanes Director of Forward Development Sergei Samsonov at the development camp. The former NHL forward, who scored 571 points (235 goals, 336 assists) in 888 games, credits the family lineage for the maturity in Robidas’ game. 

“It’s the second generation of players, it’s the kids from NHL families,” Samsonov said. “One thing that stands out with Justin: when we talk about hockey, I don’t have to break it down for him because he understands it already. I think that awareness can only come from being mentored by somebody who went through that. It’s game awareness.”

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