Carmelo Crandell’s parents weren’t comfortable with him following in his dad’s footsteps.

Marcus Crandell was a quarterback who played college football at East Carolina and then professionally, capturing two Grey Cup Championships in the Canadian Football League.

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But given the injuries dad dealt with during his career, Crandell’s parents were wary of letting their son play football. Hockey, however, despite its own physicality, was a different story.

“My parents didn’t want to put me in (football) too early. I think I could have played it when I was growing up, but by that time I was pretty invested in hockey,” Crandell said. “I think my mom’s side of the family, hockey’s just been a thing that her dad played, her brothers played, all my cousins played. It’s just been a family thing. Everyone plays hockey, just it was just natural that I got into it early.”

Like father, like son, Crandell excels at his sport. Despite returning 21 players to the team this season, No.…