Red Wings 2020 draft pick Cross Hanas’s father, a former AHL player, spoke to the Peoria Journal-Star’s David Eminian regarding the fact that his son comes from a “hockey family”:
he 2020 NHL Entry Draft had Peoria ties this week as the son of a former Peoria Rivermen player was picked.
Cross Hanas went in the second round (55th overall) to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.
His father, Trevor Hanas, was a standout right wing for the Rivermen’s inaugural team in the class-AA ECHL in the 1996-97 season. He played two seasons here and notched 32 goals in 123 games.
Trevor Hanas’ wife, the former Kim Duke, is a Peorian who graduated from Peoria High School. Her grandfather, in fact, is a retired Peoria firefighter.
“I’m pretty proud of my boy, he came up in our program,” said Hanas, 45, a coach in the highly regarded junior hockey program, Dallas Stars Elite Hockey. “I had the opportunity to coach my son when he was a little kid. Saw him go up through the system and make it to Portland of the Western Hockey League, the same major junior league I played in.
“Cross grew up idolizing Malkin and tries to mimic his game. He’s more of a Tomas Hertl (NHL San Jose assistant captain) kind of player, though. He’s physical and competitive, and I told him at 16 how to prepare for what it would be like playing against 19-year-old men in the WHL.”
