By Trevor Redden

Sibling competition no sweat for Brook

Aug 27, 2018 | 4:35 PM

A family rivalry could soon reach a whole new level.

On March 27, Raider fans sunk into their seats as Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Josh Brook scored on an end-to-end rush, cutting the Prince Albert lead to one goal with less than two minutes to play in game three of the Eastern Conference quarter-final series. This goal was followed by a tying tally and ultimately a Warriors win in overtime, giving Moose Jaw a 2-1 series lead.

Watching the whole thing from the stands was Brook’s younger brother Jakob, who signed a WHL contract with the Raiders just two days later.

While the elder Brook and his teammates were celebrating a narrow victory, Jakob had no trouble declaring his allegiance to the green and gold.

“It was awesome. Getting in his head a little bit was kind of fun, I could bug him as a part of the opposing team,” recalled Brook after an intra squad session on Monday. “He kind of got mad that I wasn’t cheering for him, but I had to cheer for the team that I was with.”

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Finding himself on the opposite side of his older brother wasn’t uncharted territory for the Roblin, Manitoba native. Growing up as the younger brother of Josh, who was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft, and the older brother of 2018 Seattle Thunderbirds’ draft pick Aidan, competition was fierce.

“Everything was a competition for us, even getting to the food first. You had to be there, or you wouldn’t get it,” said Jakob. “Dad would make an outdoor rink in the winters and we’d go out on the ice. It would be me and Aidan against Josh…it helped me prepare for competitive hockey.”

In his second training camp with the Raiders, Brook is trying to crack a roster spot and make the jump from prep school to the WHL. Last year he finished fifth in scoring with the Rink Hockey Academy Prep Squad with 12 goals and 36 points in 34 games.

“In camp, I just hope to work as hard as I can, skate as hard as I can, and hopefully if I’m lucky enough I’ll try to crack the roster. If not, I’ll keep working until next year and keep developing to be the best player I can,” said Brook.

Training camp continues Monday evening with three scrimmages at the Art Hauser Centre. On Tuesday, the team holds its annual Green and White game at 6 p.m. Admission is two dollars or a non-perishable food item.

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden