Nolan hoping to follow in the Foote-steps of dad, older brother
Mark Masters
SPORTSCENTRE Reporter
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After staying off the ice Thursday, Team ​Canada resumes its World Junior Summer Showcase schedule with a game Friday against Sweden at 1pm et/10am pt on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5.
The name is familiar, but the position is not.
Adam Foote​ played defence. His eldest son, Cal Foote, also plays defence. But Nolan Foote has chosen a different path.
"I just loved scoring goals since Day 1," the 18-year-old Kelowna Rockets left winger explained. "Just love to score goals and was always a forward."
Nolan scored a goal and added two assists in Canada's opening game at the World Junior Summer Showcase. He'll continue his audition for a roster spot on Friday against Sweden. ​
Nolan, who like older brother Cal is a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, says growing up in a hockey family helped stoke his competitive fire.
"It was awesome. With Cal being a defenceman I was always going up against him one-on-one and learning from him, learning what defencemen do and stuff like that. We were really close. We were always going hard against each other and battling hard in mini sticks or on the ice and I was fortunate to play a little bit of lacrosse with him as well."
Did Cal ever take it easy on him?
"No, he definitely took advantage," Nolan said with a grin. "He never let me have anything easy and that's good. It pushes me, because you're obviously going to experience that strength when you're older. He's two years older, so he was strong and it was fun."
Nolan enjoyed watching Cal represent Canada at the 2018 World Juniors in Buffalo, with one play in particular standing out. During a game against Slovakia, Cal dove to knock the puck off the goal line with his glove.
Oh my god what a save by Cal Foote pic.twitter.com/GzjXLTYmn7
"I remember that pretty clear," Nolan said. "That was the 1v1 Ram champ [on SportsCentre] for a long time. He's given me lots of advice. Even his first two years, he was there in camps so he told me what to expect, how to prepare for it, the stuff you need to do."
Cal won a gold medal at the World Juniors, which was only the latest international triumph for the family. Adam won titles with Canada at the 2002 Olympics and 2004 World Cup. Nolan hopes to add to the family trophy case this year.
"It'd be awesome to continue to follow in their footsteps and wear the maple leaf," he said.
Nolan Foote played with brother Cal in Kelowna and has followed in his Foote-steps by being drafted by the Lightning. Now, can he do it again with Canada's World Junior team? Cal won gold in 2018 and, of course, father Adam Foote also represented Canada at the Olympics and World Cup. The one difference in the family? Nolan is a forward and showed his scoring touch in Canada's first game at the Summer Showcase.
Serron Noel supplied two of Canada's three goals during Wednesday's 8-3 loss to Finland. On his first tally, the Florida........
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