Three siblings on one high school team – that's an extremely rare situation, especially if there are no twins or triplets involved.
It just happened that three Egan boys were born about a year apart – with, as their father says, hockey in their blood and that's why Mahtomedi has been blessed with a triple dose of Egan talent over the past two seasons.
I've had three brothers before, but never on the same team at the same time. It's pretty unique and special, says Jeff Poeschl, who has been coaching for 31 years, 27 of them at Mahtomedi.
Patrick Egan is a senior co-captain, Max is a junior, Jimmy a sophomore. They are all moving forward. They combined for 28 goals and 40 assists for the Zephyrs, who are currently in the playoffs. Jimmy is second on the team with 40 points. They all skated on last year's Class A state championship team.
That the Egans make this distinction in the Mahtomedi annals is appropriate, as their family has played a prominent role in the program for generations.
“We come from a long family that played hockey,” said Pat Egan, their father, the third of four Egans with that name. The game is in the boys' blood.
Their great-grandfather, Dick Redpath, founded the Mahtomedi Hockey Association in the early 1960s. Their other great-grandfather, Pat Egan the First, was president of the St. Paul Saints hockey team in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Both grandfathers, Jim Redpath and Pat Egan the second, played for the Zephyrs. (The boy's father played youth hockey, but opted for track and field and football in high school.)
Both grandpa Pat Egan and Jim Redpath love to see us play. They enjoy watching our whole team, said Patrick the fourth, adding that Max is wearing Jim Redpath's No. 19.
Cousins Johnny, Joey and Jimmy Redpath, and their mother's Nate, Eric and Tony DeMars, all skated for the Zephyrs, as did great-uncles Mike and Tim Egan and John Redpath. Nate DeMars coached Patrick, Jimmy and Max in youth hockey.
The Egan/Redpath name has been synonymous with Mahtomedi hockey for decades, Poeschl acknowledged. Johny, Joe and Jimmy Redpath were all captains for me in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Grandpa Jim Redpath and his brother John played for Warren Strelow, along with grandpa Pat Egan and his brothers Mike and Tim. It has been a real pleasure to coach the current wave of Egans. They have a great work ethic and love being at the rink.
Patrick and Jamie (Redpath) Egan have a family of five boys, just one short of a full hockey lineup. Jack, a seventh grader, plays in the pee, and Joey, a fifth grader, plays in squirts.
Their mother should also be considered for some kind of award, Poeschl said, because she shuttled the boys back and forth to numerous arenas for competitions, practices and skating lessons.
When asked about the illustrious great-grandfathers, Patrick the fourth said:We never met our great-grandfather Pat, but he was often talked about. We were fortunate enough to know our great-grandfather, Jim Redpath. We called him Bopa.
Bopa always told the boys that in the Egan family an assist is worth two points and a goal is worth one point. He emphasized that because he liked unselfish players and team players, Patrick said. Our great-grandmother, Eileen Redpath, on the other hand, was the opposite. She loved the goals!
The press had an article about Jim Redpath a few years ago andseveral grandsons who played in state tournaments. Jim had taught ten grandchildren to skate on White Bear Lake.
When asked if he and his brothers ever played other sports, Patrick said: We were locked up (to hockey) from the moment we were born. Stay in control. Lots of stings in our house from knee hockey and street hockey games. Their other sport is golf, just for fun.
During youth hockey, which has a two-year extension, Patrick and Max were teammates, then Max and Jimmy, but never all three until last season with the Zephyrs. We know how lucky we are to be able to play the sport we love together, Patrick said. We've talked about the possibility of this happening since we were in grade school.
They rarely skate on the same line, but it happened once last season against Warroad and they scored an Egan by Egan by Egan, a goal, Patrick said, one of their all-time highlights. All three scored in a 5-0 win Blaine in November. An Egantrick, the coaches called it.
Jimmy Egan said he is lucky, being the youngest of the trio, because I always got to train with my older brothers, who really pushed me on and off the ice every day to get better. I owe the player I am to Patrick and Max.
Max said to his siblings I feel comfortable and they always pay attention to me so that I am happy. I feel truly fortunate to be able to share these memories not only with them, but with our entire team. He added that Patrick, a co-captain, is a great example to our entire team of not only what a good teammate is, but also what a good citizen is.
Of course, brotherhood extends beyond just the family. The boys have been skating with about twenty boys since childhood and they all strive for high goals together.
Everything we do is for the greater good of the team, Patrick said. We stand up for each other, but never at the expense of the team. Our team is a group of brothers who have to come together to win a state title like we did last season. We would do anything for our teammates.