His father, Ron, played 13 seasons in the NHL, winning a Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy.
So, naturally, the border patrol agent in hockey-crazy Canada had a few questions. “You’re going to Penticton to play hockey for the Vees” she asked the younger Hextall. “Does this mean you get to play with Evan Trupp” Never mind that there was a former NHL all-star and current NHL assistant general manager in the car. She was more enamored with Brett’s future teammate. “Evan Trupp is the best!” she exclaimed. “I love watching him play.” Finally, she let the Hextalls through. “Then, of course, I couldn’t wait to see this kid on the ice,” Brett said. Trupp, now a sophomore forward at the University of North Dakota, has been a big attraction for years. And this weekend, he’s going back to where it all started.
The Anchorage native will play in front of family and friends when UND takes on Alaska-Anchorage in Sullivan Arena on Friday and Saturday.