CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Ryan and Lucas St. Louis were 10 and nine years old respectively when their father Martin scored the goal that paved the way for the Penguins' elimination in the 2014 postseason.
It was the second round of the playoffs, and the Penguins had a 3-2 series lead over the Rangers with the opportunity to close out the series in New York in Game 6, which would fall on Mother's Day. But Martin St. Louis -- playing just three days after the death of his mother France -- gave the Rangers early life with the first-period opening goal:
The Rangers won 3-1 to force a Game 7 back in Pittsburgh. They completed the comeback with a 2-1 win in Game 7, with St. Louis recording the primary helper on the goal that stood to be the series-clincher.
Ryan and Lucas were young, but they have clear memories of their dad being the hero that series.
"Yeah, that was awesome," Lucas recalled to me at the Penguins' development camp this summer at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. "That was a really awesome moment for him, especially after his mom had just passed. It was just really special for my family."
"I remember the Mother's Day goal," Ryan said with a grin. "I mean, that's awesome. Sorry, Penguins, but it was a great moment in my childhood."
A decade later, Ryan and Lucas are looking to forge their own paths in professional hockey ... and that opportunity might just come from the Penguins organization one day.
Ryan, a 21-year-old left wing, and Lucas, a 19-year-old defenseman, were among the free agent invites who attended the Penguins' development camp this summer. Neither left camp with a contract -- both still have work to do in college hockey first -- but the Penguins in the past have invited young undrafted college players to camps like this one to forge a relationship, then signed them a year or two later once they're ready to go pro. The Penguins could keep their eyes on Ryan and Lucas in college, and then perhaps have an edge when it comes to signing them in the future.
Both are certainly intriguing prospects ... and not just because they're the sons of a first-ballot Hall of Famer and the current head coach of the Canadiens.
Ryan, the forward and elder brother, is a left-handed shot listed at 5 foot 10 and 170 pounds. He describes himself as "definitely more of a playmaker, but I like to score too. Just try to help the team win whatever way possible." He looks up to Brad Marchand, citing their similar sizes and ability to be a pest on the ice.
Ryan's had an interesting path so far. He spent two years in the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2019-21, then first made the move to college hockey in the 2021-22 season at Northeastern ... and it didn't go so well. He had a goal and an assist in 38 games. So, the following season, he left college and went to the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints and lit up the league with 30 goals and 42 assists in 58 games. He returned to college this past season -- this time at Brown -- and led his team in scoring with 13 goal and 11 assists in 30 games. Much better.
"I went to Northeastern, I felt a year or two early," Ryan told me. "So I wanted to go back and play more, get more ice time in juniors, and then make the step to college when I feel like I was more ready. So that's what I did. I'm happy I made that decision."
The biggest change the second time around was just having more confidence, Ryan said. He'll going back to Brown this season, where he said he said he's aiming to work on his speed and agility first and foremost.
Ryan will be seeing a lot of his little brother Lucas next season -- Lucas will be a freshman in the same conference at Harvard.
JOE ZAK / PENGUINS
Ryan St. Louis in the Penguins' development camp this summer in Cranberry, Pa.
Lucas, a left-handed defenseman, is listed at 5 foot 11 and 175 pounds. He describes himself as a "defenseman that plays both sides of the puck, 200 feet," and looks up to Quinn Hughes in the NHL more than anyone. He put up good numbers in the USHL with Dubuque the last two seasons -- his 15 goals in 43 games led Dubuque defenseman, and he had 14 assists on top of that. The season before, he scored three goals and 21 assists in 61 games.
Lucas said he chose Harvard because he was looking for "a good balance of a really good hockey program, good historic hockey and good academics, too." He'll look to work on his strength and physicality first and foremost as he makes that jump to the college game.
With Lucas' dad Martin being a legendary forward, his older brother being a forward, I asked Lucas how he ended up as a defenseman.
"It was kind of my dad," Lucas explained. "He just said that, it was kind of his decision. He was like, 'I think you'd be a good D man with your skating and vision,' and so I switched when I was maybe like, 12. It just stuck."
JOE ZAK / PENGUINS
Lucas St. Louis in the Penguins' development camp this summer in Cranberry, Pa.
When Ryan and Lucas were in Dubuque in the USHL, their coach was Kirk MacDonald, who took over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coaching job this summer. Along with defenseman Joona Vaisanen, there was no shortage of Dubuque connections at development camp, with MacDonald quipping that the camp was turning into the "Pittsburgh Fighting Saints."
MacDonald was pretty happy to see the St. Louis brothers get the invites. And he's hoping they'll end up in the organization in the future.
"It's great to see them here," MacDonald said. "Great kids. They've had a ton of success. Ryan was only with me for one year, and I think he was one of the best players in our league, and Lucas was outstanding this year. He led the league in power-play goals, or close to it. I know Lucas will go to Harvard and have a ton of success this year, like Ryan did at Brown. And hopefully there's a day where our paths meet again."
JOE ZAK / PENGUINS
Lucas (left) and Ryan (right) St. Louis in the Penguins' development camp this summer in Cranberry, Pa.
Both Ryan and Lucas said that when they were younger they felt aware of some lofty outside expectations for their own futures because of who their dad is, but it's not something they think about anymore.
"I mean, obviously he was a great player," Ryan said. "But he's also my dad, so he's always in my corner, whether it's advice or telling me what I need to hear even if I don't want to. But yeah, he's been a great role model for me and my two brothers."
The advice Martin gave for his two sons as they came to Penguins development camp was simple.
"He just said to try to absorb it all," Ryan said. "Have as much fun as you can. Learn as much as I can, but have fun with it."
"He said just show what I've got," Lucas added. "Just leave it all out there."
