Joey Anderson made sure his little brother didn’t do his solo lap alone.
The New Jersey Devils forward joined his brother Mikey Anderson on ice before the Los Angeles Kings defenseman’s NHL debut Saturday at Staples Center.
“It was really cool,” Joey told MSG Network after the Kings’ 2-1 overtime win. “It was pretty cool that we were out there together. He’s worked his tail off to get here, and he deserves all this, and I’m really excited to see it go well for him.”
Mikey was recalled from Ontario of the American Hockey League on Friday. He relished his first NHL game, particularly since it came against his older brother.
“Obviously it was very exciting,” Mikey told Fox Sports West. “Being able to be a part of the game was pretty special, and everything lined up for me to play Joey, so it made it all that more special for the family.”
After they took the ice, Joey flipped a puck down the ice to Mikey, which led to his first on-ice action as an NHL player.
“He was the first guy I saw,” Mikey said. “He threw a puck at me, and I think that was the first puck I shot [during warmups], so it’s pretty cool.”
Mikey and Joey’s parents Dana and Gerry, and older sister Sami were in Los Angeles for Mikey’s debut. Joey told his family he’d be the first player on the ice so the Andersons could share the ice before Mikey’s first NHL game.
“We kind of had a heads up,” Sami Anderson, the boys’ older sister, told MSG-Plus. “Joey said ‘I’m going to do the lap with Mike’ … for them to get to do it together was neat.”
Each parent was emotional watching their sons together, especially during Mikey’s first game.
“What a special moment,” Gerry said. “Just to play in the NHL, to get his first step, I said ‘Oh my God, he’s an NHL player’ but then to have his brother on the ice was unbelievable.”
Dana and Gerry planned their Southern California trip so they could see Mikey play for Ontario and Joey in Los Angeles. They were hopeful that Mikey would be in the NHL by Saturday but didn’t think it would play out so perfectly.
“It was a pipedream back in January when we booked the trip,” Gerry told Fox Sports West. “Then the pieces started falling into place.”