When your father and uncle are former NHL players, one would think you would have no choice but to carry on the family business.
Eighteen-year-old Adam Gionta, whose father, Brian, and uncle, Stephen, both played for years in the NHL, never was pressured into playing hockey, but he always loved it. He remembers his mother bringing him and his siblings to his father’s games on Saturday nights in Montreal, or if he was playing in New Jersey, Buffalo or Boston.
“I went to games as a kid and (remember) being around the guys after games,” said Gionta, who plays forward on the expansion Rochester Junior Americans in the North American Hockey League. “I always had a passion and love for the game. It’s where it’s led me now. It’s a blast to be on the ice. I love every second of it. It’s kept my motor going. I want to see how far it can take me.”
Brian Gionta, who retired from the NHL in 2018, has played a huge role in his son’s hockey development. Brian and is director of player development at Niagara University and an associate coach with the Junior Americans. He coached Adam for five years with the Buffalo Junior Sabres.
