what his brother was doing on the ice

There was his grandmother, or “nonna” to those of Italian heritage, giving the diminutive centre a big hug and a big plate of pasta back home.

After all, when you’re 5-foot-9 and your weight varies from 166 to 170 pounds, and you need to add 10 pounds of muscle this summer, carbs can be as important as a personal trainer in advance of the NHL draft on June 30 in Newark, N.J.

Projected as a late-first-round or early-second-round pick, Petan was in Calgary on June 11 for a second round of meetings and testing with the Flames, who own the sixth, 22nd and 26th picks. They may not keep them all, and recently acquired University of North Dakota star centre Corban Knight in a trade with the Florida Panthers.

“For me, family is most important,” says the 18-year-old centre. “I visit my grandma and she’s the best cook, and as much as I can get there, she’s willing to cook for me.”

It shouldn’t be surprising that Petan places an emphasis on family, because the mighty mite’s work ethic and level of respect were honed in the restaurant owned by his father Frank. He learned his way around the kitchen long before learning to navigate the ice.

He piled up 46 goals and 74 assists this past season, and 28 more points in 21 postseason games as the Winterhawks came within a victory of a Memorial Cup championship.

And if Petan needed another motivational nudge, his mother Rosanna works in a hair salon and can log long hours.

“When your parents own their own businesses and just watching them, when you turn 13 or 14, you get yourself in that work-ethic zone,” says Petan. “After workouts, you work for seven or eight hours in the kitchen and you get your little pay. So, it’s nice to be rewarded for your hard work.”

That will be the case at the draft, although the jury is out on whether all those points are a result of playing with linemates Ty Rattie and Brendan Leipsic. Rattie is a second-round 2011 St. Louis Blues pick and had 48 goals and 62 assists this season. Leipsic is a third-round 2012 pick of the Nashville Predators and had 49 goals and 71 assists to tie Petan for the WHL scoring crown.

But 81 of Petan’s points were at even strength and the fact he looks for his linemates first, and shoots second, says something about still managing 46 goals.

But putting pucks exactly where his linemates want them, with no break in stride and the optimum and quick release, have become Petan’s calling card.

“It’s what I’ve done my whole life and I don’t think that will change,” he says. “My passing ability and the way I use my vision is my No. 1 thing.

“The game has changed a little bit, with smaller guys getting into the league. You see Brendan Gallagher. The reason I look up to him and watched him growing up is because of his skill, his compete and his drive. He’s not scared of anybody.

“You’ve got to have that extra drive and compete to outwork a guy like Zdeno Chara, and Gallagher plays a more grittier game, but I think I’m on the right track.”

Petan’s brother Alex played for the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL and the undrafted winger had 34 points (15-19) this season as a rookie at Michigan Tech. Even smaller than his younger brother, his ascension turned the soccer-playing Nicolas into a hockey-pursuing playmaker.

He went from idolizing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the soccer pitch, to Markus Naslund on the ice, and wears the winger’s No. 19.

Part of that had to do with trying to beat what his brother was doing on the ice, loving to compete and learning how to conduct himself on and off the ice. Alex taught him all that, but Nicolas had to make the commitment.

“It’s kind of weird,” he says. “I grew up playing high-level soccer and my dad was always my coach and I was playing up a level. But I had to make a decision at 11 or 12, between soccer and hockey, and went with what I love more. I’m happy I made the choice, but you kind of wonder what would have happened if I played soccer.”

Choosing hockey meant choosing the North Shore Winter Club and demanding coach Todd Harkins, and learning what it would take to get him to the next level.

“He taught me about passion and hard work,” says Petan. “Spring and winter hockey, and I can’t thank him enough for all those bag skates.

“It took a while to figure it out, but once you gather your skills together with your work ethic — which I did this year — and learn how to play in all areas, that’s the key.”

The WHL levied a series of sanctions against the Winterhawks in late November. Cited for a series of player-benefit violations over the previous four seasons, the club was suspended from the first five rounds of the bantam draft last month and must forfeit first-round picks the next four years. The Winterhawks were also fined $200,000 and general manager/coach Mike Johnston was suspended for the balance of the season.

With Travis Green elevated into a head-coaching role, Portland could have packed it in, but chose to press on.

“It was a shocker,” says Petan. “Right away we took it pretty well and used our term and got a lot closer as a team. We knew we had to face some challenges, but Travis stepped in and it was the same system.”
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