2023-04-25 23:22:06
NEWARK, New Jersey – Jimmy Vesey was fiery at the age of 12.
“He had an explosive temper,” said Vincent Trocheck.
At the same age, Trocheck was a veritable chatterbox, which hasn’t changed much. But he was wearing a neck guard.
“The neck guard was horrible,” Vesey quipped.
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Today, they are teammates with the New York Rangers. Trocheck is in the first season of a seven-year contract, while Vesey signed a two-year contract extension Jan. 4 following signing a one-year deal Oct. 9 following training camp.
They are at the heart of the rivalry between the Rangers and the New Jersey Devils, who meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The series is tied at 2-2 and Game 5 is Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS2, SN360, ESPN2, MSGSN, MSG).
This is the third time that Vesey and Trocheck, who are both 29, have played significant games for the same team.
Almost 18 years ago, Vesey and Trocheck played for the Boston Bruins juniors, a summer team that played in tournaments across North America. They were 12 and 13 years old and were led by Vesey’s father, Jim, a former NHL player who is now an amateur scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“Playing with him here is kind of coming full circle, because we started out on the same minor hockey team and now we’re playing with the same team in the NHL in the playoffs,” said Vesey, who was born in Boston. “It puts things in perspective. »
Trocheck is a native of Pittsburgh and grew up playing in the Pittsburgh Hornets program. His family moved to Detroit when he was 13, and he also played in the Little Caesars hockey program. But the junior Bruins knew his family, and that’s how he ended up on this team.
“We were going to Canada to face the best there,” recalled Jim Vesey. “Somehow the junior Bruins knew Vincent Trocheck and it became the norm: every summer, we went there and Vincent came with us. All the young people were from Boston, except Vincent. It brings back good memories to see them together today. »
When they were 19 years old, Vesey and Trocheck played together for the United States at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship (WJC) in Ufa, Russia, and won the gold medal.
“They then took different paths, but Vincent is close [du défenseur des Hurricanes de la Caroline] Brady Skei, and Jimmy is his best friend, so they are part of a large circle of friends, explained Jim Vesey. Then they both ended up in New York this year, and it reignited their relationship. I knew Vincent’s father. I got to know his mother. You heard the story of his grandmother, who received the whole team this year for an Italian dinner. They are some of the best people I have met. »
The friendship and bond between Trocheck and Vesey has made it easier for everyone to adjust to Rangers this season.
Vesey came to New York with no guarantees that he would make the team because he came to training camp with a pro tryout in his pocket. Trocheck immediately contacted him.
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“I was going to send him a message and I saw that I already had a message from him congratulating me,” Vesey said.
They were placed on the same line early in training camp.
“I never told him, but I really appreciated that he tried to make me look good all camp,” Vesey said. He was trying to spot me as much as possible on the ice. A few times he tried to do too much to get the puck back to me. I’m still not going to compliment it in person, but I enjoyed it very much. »
Trocheck admitted that was his intention.
“I wanted to do everything I might to help him fit into the team,” he said. Of course, I wasn’t the one assembling the team. He had to make his place himself. He was extraordinary during the preparatory calendar and in training camp. He got there and he deserved it. But I wanted him here. »
Vesey returned the favor by helping Trocheck acclimate to the area. Having played with Rangers from 2016 to 2019, he knew the place well. On the other hand, everything was new for Trocheck, which had signed its contract on July 13.
“For me, it was awesome,” Trocheck said. I knew someone on the team. It was nice to see someone I knew and I might count on him from the start. He had played here before, so he helped me with some things, and eventually we got closer. »
Vesey’s parents were happy that Jimmy had a friend to turn to.
“We knew Jimmy was in good hands with the Trocheck family, because we eat well in this house,” said Jim Vesey. “We had peace of mind at home.
He added that the Trochecks consider Jimmy family. It’s reciprocal, and it probably always will be.
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