More so than any other pro North American sport, the NHL is full of players with bloodlines. Their fathers, brothers, uncles, grandfathers or someone else from their familial history has played in the league. When you expand that to players with family members who have simply played pro hockey at some level, whether the AHL or Europe, the numbers explode.
Needless to say, as much as the bloodlines topic in draft analysis is mocked at times, it’s often an excellent indicator as to whether a player has that little extra edge it takes to make it to the league. This year’s draft class is no exception to that rule, with several prospects with ties to former NHLers.
Caleb Malhotra has been the biggest riser of this year’s draft class, going from a fringe first-round prospect at the beginning of the year to a potential top three pick. One of the things that became incredibly apparent in conversation was that he wasn’t shying away from the fact that he’s been blessed to have some excellent people in his corner.
“My dad and I talk every day. He’s an easy guy to talk to,” explained Malhotra, speaking about his father, Manny Malhotra. “I don’t get a chance to talk to uncle Steve (Nash) as often but he’s been in my corner as long as I can remember.”
The reality is, Malhotra has grown up around two impressive athletes, with very different perspectives, coming from different worlds, and varied levels of individual success. The 2026 NHL draft prospect is able to take pieces from each of their careers and use them as examples of how to take on the challenges that he will inevitably face.
His father is Manny Malhotra, the former NHL center who played for the Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Montreal Canadiens, among others. His father was recently hired as the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. His experience at the pro level started with working as an assistant in Vancouver and then Toronto before getting the head coach job with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate the last two seasons.
With a father who was a respected NHL veteran who’s been lauded as the ultimate competitor and a pro’s pro, Caleb has seen firsthand how important the small details of the game are. His dad was a penalty killer who was relied upon to take important faceoffs and play smart defensive hockey.
“I remember seeing my dad get up, go to practice and get ready for work like it was a regular job,” reminisced Malhotra. “I guess I never really thought about it being a pretty cool job until a little later on in my childhood and by that time, it was realizing all of the work he was putting into his game that really made me appreciate how special it was.”
The elder Malhotra was a player who had to earn everything he was given. He wasn’t the most skilled, best skater, or biggest. He was highly intelligent and a diligent player who never took a shift off. He consistently found a way to be more than the sum of his parts. His son looks back on that element of his father’s career with an understanding that following in those footsteps could push him from a middle-six center to a potential top-line center at the NHL level.
What makes Malhotra’s support system even more interesting is who is uncle is. Steve Nash, the two-time NBA MVP and Basketball Hall of Famer, has been a big supporter of Malhotra’s career. He’s been a supportive fan, a shoulder to lean on, and even a source of wisdom.
“He’s kind of just Uncle Steve most of the time,” laughed Malhotra. “When I chat with him about sports, it’s not even always about my game or hockey, he’s always someone worth listening to because of everything he’s done and been through.”
Nash has been an excellent balance of uncle and former MVP-level athlete. Malhotra recalls playing him one-on-one in a light-hearted game of basketball, where he admits to being a bit overconfident in his ability to beat his uncle. He’s also reflective of conversations about what it takes to be an elite athlete and how Malhotra can get there himself.
Although Caleb wasn’t even born yet when his uncle was winning back-to-back MVP awards in the NBA, the reality that his uncle was one of the NBA’s elite players over his 18-year career is not lost on him. Nash was named one of the 75 Greatest Players in NBA history for the league's 75th anniversary. He is one of the most prolific passers in the history of basketball with a highlight reel that inspired kids across Canada and the United States.
The accomplishments of his uncle would lead you to believe that he’s a bigger-than-life figure but the reality is that Nash isn’t the kind of person that showboats or makes himself the focal point. Much like he did on the hardwood, he sets the table to let others shine. His nephew has benefited from that as the NBA legend has been in his corner, showing up to games and cheering him on from the stands.
Having two prime examples for how to be a professional athlete, with very different paths to their success, has been a blessing for Malhotra. Understanding that hard work beats talent, as well as seeing that talent that works hard generally ascends to the top of their game has given Malhotra the tools to become the player that he is today.
Last year, he was playing in the BCHL and he had decent results. He found more success in the playoffs but overall, it was a perfectly fine season. With the NCAA eligibility rules changing, the CHL became an option for the young prospect. He made his way to Brampton in the OHL where he became an important piece to one of the league’s best teams this season.
It wasn’t immediate, though.
Malhotra had a good start to the year and found himself on the radar of NHL draft pundits around the game. He was viewed as a player with projectable tools and size but a bit of a project overall. His opportunity came around the time of the World Junior Championship, when many of his teammates went off to their national U20 training camps with the majority of them going on to compete in the tournament. That left a void in the Bulldogs’ lethal attack. After working to earn every bit of ice time early in the year, Malhotra was given the chance to step into a bigger role and he certainly did not disappoint.
Malhotra became one of the Bulldogs' most relied upon players, which is a testament to both his work ethic and talent. The loaded Bulldogs team saw Malhotra assert himself as a relied upon center and rise up the lineup despite players like Adam Benak, Jake O’Brien, and Jett Luchanko all being featured players on the roster, with the latter two being highly touted center prospects themselves.
“My skating has been the biggest improvement in my game,” said Malhotra. “I’ve gotten quicker, more powerful, and I think I just understand how to use my speed a bit better away from the puck as well.”
His game has grown a great deal over the last two years. He went from a player who put up 26 points in 44 BCHL games to 84 points in 67 OHL games just a year later. He had more goals (29) in the OHL than he had points in the BCHL. Malhotra credits his development as a skater and his willingness to be a bit more creative with his passing this year for the jump.
One thing Malhotra was unwilling to compromise on was his defensive game. He made it a clear goal for himself to be an impact player at both ends of the ice. Taking the reliability that his father had defensively while blending his uncle’s creative playmaking ability into his game on the ice, the influence of those around him has been undeniable.
Whether it was physically maturing a bit, improving his mobility, or staying committed to making a two-way impact, there is one thing that is certain about Caleb Malhotra’s game as we approach the NHL draft. It has been influenced by those he grew up around.
Malhotra knows that the draft is just step one to making it to the NHL. He knows that he needs to try and continue drawing from those around him while looking to carve his own path. His father may have been a grinder and his uncle was an MVP, but Caleb is focused on making sure he’s simply putting himself in a position to succeed and he will lean on those around him to make sure he is doing everything he can to accomplish that goal.