Joe Pavelski may have a reason to come to Ontario, whether or not he gets the Toronto Maple Leafs head coaching job.
Pavelski's son, Nathan, was drafted by the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers on Saturday. Nathan, a forward like his father, was selected in the ninth round with the 180th overall pick.
The 15-year-old Nathan played for the Madison Capitols (15U AAA) in 2025-26, putting up 27 goals and 42 assists for 69 points in 59 games.
His father served as head coach of his son's team this past season and was also an assistant coach for the Capitols (14U AAA) the season prior.
Joe played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League, recording 1,068 points over 1,332 career games with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. He retired at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The future Hall of Famer was reported to be on the Maple Leafs' radar as they shifted into the next phase of interviews in their coaching search, and he has confirmed as much.
"There's truth to that stuff," the 41-year-old said on Thursday, per Bay Area News Group's Chris Pashelka. "I'm excited to go through the process and kind of see where it leads."
The Rangers won the OHL championship and Memorial Cup this past season.
