When Tayler Thompson first pulled on a Junior Terriers jersey it signaled the start of a special season for the young forward.
Thompson was following in the skate marks of his father Brad who played for the Terriers in the early 1980s, including being on Yorkton's first Junior League championship team.
Tayler said the first game was a special one.
"I'm sure every kid wants to be like their dad," he said adding "I wanted to play hockey because my dad did."
Brad Thompson said he certainly looks back on his time as a Terrier with good memories.
"It was special to be able to play junior hockey at that time," he said, adding Yorkton was virtually home since he was from Bredenbury. "We had a great group, and great support."
It didn't hurt that Thompson was matched up with of the all time great Terrier blueliners.
"My first defence partner was Kevin Bryksa," he said. "It was my first year in Junior and I learned a lot from him.
"Bryksa was a special player. You knew if he went into the corner it wasn't going to be easy for you. He was tough, a great skater and he could score goals."
Brad said he didn't talk a great deal about his Junior days as his sons grew up but would occasionally share a story or two.
It was enough to make Young Tayler hungry to play the game.
"I started playing when I was four. I was bugging dad I wanted to play when I was two or three," he said with a smile.
With older brothers Lindsay and Brayden already playing, Brad, who was coaching at the time finally said yes to his youngest.
"I was going to coach anyways so thought 'why not'," he said, adding having two young sons on the same team was interesting. "They got in the odd scrap on the bench."
Having a father as coach does change the dynamic of the relationship as a player, but Tayler said it generally worked out.
"He's your dad. You're always going to listen to him," he offered. "He treated us just the same as all the other players."
Brad said that might not have been exactly the case.
"I was maybe a little harder on my kids," he said, adding at times games and practices extended from the rink to the family dinner table. "It was sometimes hard to turn off," he said.
But then Brad Thompson was given some advice by veteran coach Leo Parker, advice he took to heart, and that was that there were times to be a coach, and times to be a father.
"I knew when I went home I had to be dad instead of a coach," he said.
Having his three boys playing the game was something Brad said was a matter of pride.
"I always hoped they would play," he said, adding he just wanted them to do their best on the ice and let that take them where it would. He did add he harboured hope they might one day play Junior.
"It meant a lot, especially playing with the Yorkton Terriers for a number of years," he said. "I'll always have a special place in my heart for the Terriers. It was a special feeling watching him (Tayler) play that first game in Yorkton. It brought back a lot of memories."
Tayler added "I even got to wear the same number seven jersey (he now wears #17)," the one his father had worn. He said the jersey, the game, knowing his family and friends were in the stands watching made it a night to remember, although the emotions are something he said "are hard to explain." He said words really can't do what it felt like justice. "It's a pretty special feeling you get."
Tayler's start with the Terriers came after a stint in the Western Hockey League. He said coming back to the SJHL was initially "a little disappointing."
But there was an upside and that was that he was going to be with the Terriers.
"At the same time I was looking forward to coming home and playing with Yorkton," said Tayler, adding as he looks back on it after more than 30-games in a Terrier uniform, he wouldn't change a thing.
So what do father and son see as the high points of their respective Terrier careers?
Brad said picking a highlight out of his Terrier career was easy.
"The highlight was Game 7 in Weyburn," he said. "Scott Morgan setting up Dale Skibinsky for the game winning goal
"Skating around the rink with the cup -- there's no greater feeling."
Tayler has less games to pick a big moment from, but he settled on his first night quickly as his choice.
"My first game back was the Hall of Fame game," he said, adding the game had a special feeling because of the ceremony to start with, so that added to his own excitement.
