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The NHL Playoffs get underway on Saturday, and a brotherly rivalry will write another chapter.
Saskatoon-product forward Brayden Schenn and the St. Louis Blues will take on his older brother defenceman Luke and the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs. Puck drop for Game 1 is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday.
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Their father Jeff joined The Green Zone with Jamie Nye and Locker on Thursday to discuss how the family is feeling about the two facing off in the playoffs.
The following questions and answers have been edited for clarity.
Q: What’s it like around the Schenn household?
A: We’re excited. You know, it’s great the Blues made the push to get in the playoffs, and I guess they get their brothers to play against in the first round, which is going to be exciting and nervous and I can’t wait to get it going.
Q: This has never happened before (where the two were playing each other in the playoffs), are you guys surprised, or did you think this would never happen as a family? Or did you hope it would never happen as a family?
A: I was hoping they were playing for the Stanley Cup and one of them could go out like that. Somebody’s going to exit in the first round, but you take what you can get.
It’s tough to make it and to get into the playoffs. We had an eye on it a couple of weeks out, that it could be a possibility, and the way that the Blues were climbing and the way that Winnipeg was playing and locking in first place. And here we go.
Q: So are the family making the half-and-half jerseys for this series?
A: My niece just sent me a picture of the Philadelphia (Eagles) and the Kansas City (Chiefs) jersey put together for (Travis and Jason Kelce’s) mom but no, we’ll be pretty low-key in the crowd. I think we’ll get into the whiteout on Sunday and then we’ll take it from there. We’re on as much as the fence as we can get.
New York Rangers’ Sam Carrick (39) and Winnipeg Jets’ Luke Schenn (5) battle for the puck during the second period of their NHL hockey game in Winnipeg, Tuesday March 11, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Greenslade)
Q: How competitive are things going to get when Luke and Brayden are digging for the puck in the corner on Saturday night in Game 1?
A: That’s who they are. If one was a free-wheeling guy and one were a dancing defenceman, we’d have a little bit of a different game but they both bring that grit to their game. It’s game on. For them to be successful, that’s the way they need to play and just hopefully nobody gets hurt out of it. But I’m sure there’s going to be some battles.
Q: Just before the trade deadline, there was a conversation about the possibility of teams behind the scenes trying to make a trade to get your boys to play on the same team. Was that something that you guys as a family were talking about or just hearsay?
A: There are so many rumours floating around there. I don’t know if there’s a concrete offer made. Luke was caught off guard a little bit being in Nashville and Brayden loves being a St. Louis Blue. The trade deadline is a crazy day and a crazy time leading up to it and there are always surprises and you never know what’s going to happen.
Q: What has this (journey) been like for the family to see 1,000 games and Stanley Cups from two guys in Saskatoon playing shinny in the driveway.
A: Two young guys in Saskatoon and they get to live their dream is the biggest thing. To be able to get to do it together is so awesome. They’re the best of friends. It’s all been said about how much they talk to each other and it’s true.
They’re the best of friends and then for your dream to come true and play as long as you do and get to play a little bit together, it’s hard. It’s a hard game. It’s a hard game to play any amount and to get to 1,000 games and get to hoist the cup, now this is the next chapter.
Q: Describe what those Stanley Cup rings look like?
A: The rings are something you can’t even imagine, the case that they come in, you can’t even imagine with all the stuff that goes with it. It’s amazing. That part of it and everything that goes into the ring, how many diamonds they put into it, means something, too.
I remember on Brayden’s it was “Play Gloria” (engraved) which was their (victory) song throughout the playoffs. So they got all these neat things that go into the rings. But as far as a gift, that would be the gift and the next gift was being able to hoist the Stanley Cup. I don’t even know what other gift they got besides that, but a lot of free beer somewhere.
Q: I’d say best of luck, but I don’t know who to say best of luck to because you can’t get both of them into the second round.
A: I’m obviously cheering for both as hard as we can. There are no favourite teams going on right now, just favourite players.
Everybody will be on pins and needles. These games, they’re tough in the regular season when they play against each other. You want Brayden to score but don’t score when Luke’s on the ice. It is what it is and they’re very lucky and very blessed to be there.
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