By chance, Ronald "Popeye" Jones bumped into Joe Sakic in the weight room of the arena in Denver way back when. It shouldnt have been a big deal. After all, Jones Denver Nuggets and Sakics Colorado Avalanche shared the Pepsi Center. Jones, a 6-foot-8 power forward, had more than casual conversation in mind for their first meeting almost 13 years ago, though. He told Sakic, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, that he had two young boys who wanted to play hockey and no clue how to help them. "He looked at me all the way up and into my eyes," Jones said. "He saw how big I was. He said, Hes going to be huge. Make sure he knows how to skate." So Jones signed up his boys, including youngest, Seth, for skating lessons. Sakics small piece of advice turned around one boys direction. Now, its Seths turn to return the favour for an organization. The 18-year-old Jones has grown into one of the top prospects in hockey and is the consensus No. 1 pick in the NHL draft later this month. That pick belongs to the Avalanche — now led by Sakic, the teams former captain who was recently promoted to executive vice-president of hockey operations. "All the goals hes set as a hockey player," Popeye said, "hes been able to accomplish." Hows that for a proud pop? Popeye, Seths mother and other friends and relatives will attend the June 30 draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Popeye worked last season as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets and lives about 20 minutes from the draft site. Dad was a second-round pick, 41st overall. Seth could be the first black player ever taken No. 1 in the NHL draft. "Im trying to embrace it," Seth said. "Its going to be fun in New Jersey, for sure. I cant wait to share those experiences with my family." It may be a pretty big family reunion in Denver. Jones older brother, Justin, also played hockey and they all got along with Patrick Roys family as they grew up. The Roys and Joneses were close and spent time at each others houses, in fact. And it just so happens that Roy — a former goaltender who also won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche — was just hired to coach Colorado after the rebuilding franchise missed the playoffs. "Jones is a heck of a player," Roy said. "No matter what the decision for our organization — are we going to keep first overall, are we going to move first overall, whatever were going to do, we know that the team that picks first, second or third are going to get three outstanding players." Jones, Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin are expected to go 1-2-3 in the draft. The Florida Panthers hold the second draft pick and the Tampa Bay Lightning are No. 3. Based on talent and need, Jones shouldnt drop past the Avalanche. The 6-foot-4, 206-pound defenceman met with members of the Avalanche scouting team last month before moving on to the NHL draft combine in Toronto. He would become the first American picked No. 1 since Chicagos Patrick Kane in 2007 and seventh overall. In a sport where the majority percentage of players are white, its that slice of history he would make as the first black selected No. 1 — topping Evander Kane, picked fourth 2009 — that means so much to both of them. "I dont think about it too much," Seth said. "Hopefully, I can encourage young African-Americans to play hockey and try it when theyre at a young age. Its definitely a white-dominated sport. But there are a lot more that are starting to play." Kane, Pittsburghs Jarome Iginla, Philadelphias Wayne Simmonds and Washingtons Joel Ward are among the more prominent black players in the NHL. Ward was the victim of a series of racist tweets during last years playoffs after scoring the winning goal in Game 7 against Boston. During a preseason game last year, a fan threw a banana on the ice at Simmonds. Those are gloomy signs that, unlike the other big three sports, tolerance is a still a problem. "Theres never been one racial thing that happened to him," Popeye said. "I think his teammates always accepted him for Seth Jones the hockey player, the great teammate, the great team player. He never put himself above anybody. Theyve always accepted him for who he was and never looked at race." Theyve been awed looking at his career arc, though. He blossomed when he was still in elementary school and played in Pee Wee tournaments in Quebec City at 10 years old. The tournaments, however, were meant for kids 11 and 12. And he has won three gold medals in international play, including this year at the World Junior Ice Hockey championship. So, hes already seasoned, globally, as a competitor. Jones played two seasons in Toronto and was stopped in arenas each time he watched Seth play. "Theyd say, What are you doing in the hockey rink? Whats your kid doing out here playing hockey," Popeye said. "Why arent you at the gym playing basketball?" Jones, who averaged a modest 7.0 points over an 11-year career, realized early on that getting Seth to follow in his sneakers was a lost cause. Sure, little Seth tagged along with dad to the gym and theyd bond watching the NBA finals together. But those 1-on-1 father-son games in the driveway never caught steam and Seth did not play organized basketball growing up. He simply had no desire, because hockey was his passion. "That was all the motivation that I had," Seth said. With Popeye on the road, Seths mother, Amy, steered her son down the right path from home. "Mom taught me everything from how to be a young man, to a handshake, eye contact, all sorts of things," Seth said. "She just wanted me to be respectful." Seth spent more time with his dad when the latter was an assistant coach for a few seasons in Dallas. Seth broadened his worth ethic by watching how tirelessly players like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry prepared for every practice and game all season. "You can tell anyone how to be a pro," Popeye said. "But until they see it with their own eyes, its put a whole new light about what it really takes." Lesson learned. Now its Seths turn to take all hes learned and show a team like Colorado hes ready to make an impact next season. "Its a special category to be put in. Colorado would be special," Seth said, "but at the end of the day, my goal is play in the NHL." That goal is about to be met. Where to Buy Cheap Jerseys . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. 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Martins Karsums played only six games for the Boston Bruins during the 2008-09 season, but his brief presence set in motion one of the organizations most important acquisitions of the past decade. ??After the Bruins selected him as the 64th pick in the 2004 draft, Karsums went on to log 24 games in the NHL (the other 18 came with the?Tampa Bay Lightning). Before turning pro, Karsums was with the Moncton Wildcats, and the Bruins kept a close eye on his development. Every time the scouts returned with reports, however, they raved about Karsums teammate, Brad Marchand. ??Guys kept coming back saying, Check this kid out. Hes really skilled and ultracompetitive for a smaller player, said one former Bruins hockey operations staffer. ? ??Jeff Gorton, the current?New York Rangers?general manager, was then working for the Bruins as assistant GM. He served as interim GM during the 2006 draft in Vancouver. Boston selected Phil Kessel in the first round (fifth overall), and its second-round selections were Yuri Alexandrov (37th overall) and Milan Lucic (50th). The Bruins did not have a pick in the third round, but Gorton, who has a keen eye for young talent, had targeted Marchand. ??A couple of things were working against Bostons chances of landing Marchand in the third round. 1: The New York Islanders had two picks in the beginning of the third round, and the team had just hired Marchands junior coach, Ted Nolan, as its new bench boss. 2: The Bruins had to surrender their third-round pick to the Ottawa Senators for hiring Peter Chiarelli to serve as Bostons new GM, beginning in July 2006. ??It didnt look great for us to be able to get [Marchand], Gorton told ESPN.com via text. ? ??Gorton knew Marchand was the type of player the Bruins hadnt had in a while -- someone who could one day become a driving force behind the teams success. ?On draft day, Gorton traded the Bruins two fourth-round picks for the Islanders third-round selection. Boston then selected Marchand as the 71st overall pick -- and that choice has proved crucial for the organization. Many hockey personnel wondered that day why the Islanders didnt select Marchand 70th overall and instead chose Robin Figren. Either way, the hockey operations staff at Bostons draft table was thrilled the Bruins had landed Marchand. ??Id be lying to say we knew he was going to be this good. Otherwise we should have taken him a lot sooner, Gorton said recently. ? ? ?In Marchand the Bruins acquired a player with skill, skating ability, hockey IQ, character and competitiveness. Now in his eighth NHL season, the 28-year-old forward has reached new levels in all of those categories, especially in terms of his competitive intensity. ? ??Its pretty impressive the way hes improved, said Bruins alternate captain and longtime linemate Patrice Bergeron. Ive always thought he was an amazing player to play with. The way hes handled himself on the ice night in and night out -- hes always been first on pucks, working hard, competing and all that -- I just think hes improved his game from one year to another. He got 37 goals last year and it wasnt a fluke. Obviously were seeing that right now. Its great to see. ? ?This season, Marchand has three goals and seven assists for 10 points in eight games. He has carried over his success from the World Cup of Hockey, where he helped lead Team Canada to a championship with five goals and three assists for eight points in six games. The decision by Team Canada and coach Mike Babcock to give Marchand a roster spot and put him on the top line, along with Sidney Crosby and Bergeron, was based on that competitiveness.dddddddddddd ? ?Crosby, widely considered the best player in the world, said he was confident Marchand would have a positive impact both on and off the ice for Team Canada.Crosby also knew even before he hoisted the Stanley Cup with the?Pittsburgh Penguins?in June that Bergeron and Marchand would be his World Cup linemates. So Crosby invited both of them to work out for a week during the summer in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Because Marchand is a fellow Nova Scotian, he skated a bit longer with Crosby during the offseason. That ice time was invaluable, helping build chemistry among the trio -- and it showed once the puck dropped at the World Cup. ?It also helped that Bergeron and Marchand have been linemates in Boston since the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011. Before the World Cup, some wondered how Marchands presence would be received with Team Canada. Hes had a reputation as an agitator who crosses the line at times. ??Marchand has been suspended three times for a total of 10 games. But he also has the reputation of being a good teammate. Hes one of the first players on the ice for practice and one of the last ones to leave. He works his tail off during practice, and that translates during games. He is strong. He is fast. Hes not easily knocked off his skates. Hes basically one of those players you love to have on your team but hate to play against. ??His Team Canada teammates learned that firsthand during the World Cup. ??Hes really starting to shed that reputation, and hes earning a lot of respect from [the] people watching, but also people in that dressing room, [who] are discovering how good a person he really is -- things weve known for a long time in Boston, Bruins coach Claude Julien said during the tournament. ?Marchand understands that hell never completely shed the pest label. Thats the reputation Ive had for a while and people may see me as a little better player now, but that reputation will probably never leave, which is fine, he said recently. I dont care either way, but its nice to be recognized as maybe a little bit better hockey player than people might have thought.After the World Cup culminated with Team Canadas victory, Babcock said Marchand will continue to be Marchand. ??Lets not kid ourselves; hes still a pest, Babcock said. Hes going to be a pest. But hes a pest with elite speed and elite skill and a good penalty killer. ???Marchand has won a Stanley Cup. He won a World Championship with Canada in May. And he was a major contributor for Canadas World Cup victory. Marchand has become a complete player. If the NHL decides to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics, No. 63 should be on that roster. ???During the World Cup, the Bruins announced that they had signed Marchand to an eight-year contract extension worth $49 million. It should keep him in Boston for the remainder of his career. ? ??Im extremely excited, he said. That was always a dream of mine to remain [in Boston] and be part of this team for a long time, and I have that opportunity now. Im very fortunate. Im very proud and excited about that, but I still have to do my job the next number of years and make sure they keep me around. ??? ?No doubt he will continue to hear boos and insults from opposing fans, but Marchand has finally earned a spot at the big-boy table in hockey. ' ' '