London’s Roobroeck brothers on family, competition and hockey futures
- Maloney & Thompson
- Aug 22
- 4 min read
(London, ON) -- First, there were Dave and Craig Simpson. Then, Nick and Ryan Suzuki. Now, Dylan and Ryan Roobroeck are the latest London brothers turning high-level hockey into a family affair.
Via Ryan Pyette
London Free Press
Dylan, a six-foot-seven former Oshawa Generals centre, led the New York Rangers’ American league affiliate – the Hartford Wolf Pack – with 20 goals as a rookie last season, while six-foot-four Ryan buried 41 goals in his sophomore OHL campaign with the Niagara IceDogs.
Ryan, who turns 18 next month, is expected to be picked high in the first round of the 2026 NHL draft. With training camps around the corner, the super siblings caught up with The Free Press after a morning workout at Spero Mantzavrakos’ performance training centre in north London.
Q: How nice has it been to spend the summer training with your brother at home?
Dylan: Pretty special. It’s always a challenge to see who can get better (fitness) scores or push more weight here. It’s good to have him here. Usually, it’s a small group training together (including 40-year-old Corey Perry and Seattle’s Jared McCann). If you have questions, they’re always open. He (Perry) came in here every day and had a great attitude. I think he’s super excited to go down to LA this year.
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Q: Do you have the typical sibling rivalry when it comes to sports?
Ryan: I remember in the driveway shooting pucks or down in the basement just playing mini-sticks, there was that kind of fight between both of us on who can score more or pick the spots better in shooting. We’ve always been pushing each other.
Q: How did you find your first season of professional hockey?
Dylan: It was a great first year. Obviously, the goal scoring couldn’t have been done without the guys in the locker room. I have to give a lot of credit to them. It’s a little different (in the pros). You’re more on your own. You have to get your own place and stuff like that. It’s definitely another stop in the journey and it’s an older, faster and stronger league. You have to adjust to it. My two summer goals were to put on some weight and increase my lower body strength to be stronger on the puck, get faster on faceoffs and improve my top-end speed and starts.
Q: How have you prepared for the next NHL draft?
Ryan: Performing at your best will help, but the more you worry about the draft, the more it is an opportunity for failure. You put that in the back of your mind as motivation to keep pushing yourself every single day. I’ve been working on speed because the game will never slow down for you. So the more speed you can build, it will make it easier. Being more powerful and faster is huge at any level of the game.
Q: What’s the plan for your second pro season?Dylan: You’re not a rookie any more. We didn’t make playoffs and if I’m in Hartford, I want to go on a run there and maybe earn a shot at a few games in New York. I had a couple of tours (of Madison Square Garden) going to summer camps. There’s a lot of history at that arena and photos and memories of all the big days there. It will be a massive step. I’ve been there for a pre-season game and it’ll be an electric atmosphere if I earn a chance to be there (in the regular season).
Q: The IceDogs hired former London Knight Krys Barch to be their fifth coach in the past five years. Do you believe the organization is headed in the right direction?
Ryan: Yeah, I have faith. I also have faith in my teammates that we can turn the organization around there. We have an opportunity with the facility and the fans there to make it a great place to play. It’s a personal goal and I believe the guys around the locker room want that, too. We expect big things. We cracked playoffs for the first time in six years (last season). Take that momentum and go all the way. It will work for us.
Q: How did you pave the way for your younger brother?Dylan: We have our own friends but we always did stuff together. We’d skate but also do stuff out-of-sport-context like fishing. You could see his growth each summer. Shooting in the driveway with just us two, you’re always looking for a competition: targets, posts, corners – pretty much anything we could think of in the moment to put in a little bit of fun. He’s pretty good, yeah. I think it’s cool to have this and maybe one day we’ll play with each other or against each other (again).
Q: Do you aim to be the best player in the OHL this season?
Ryan: That’s obviously every kid’s goal. You grow up watching OHL and NHL your whole life and see these guys perform and excel at their best. With the awards they won, it’s always in the back of your mind you want to be that person. Try not to let it get to your head. Go out there and hope for the best.
Q: How has Dylan helped you along that path?
Ryan: I’m proud of him. I always had him to look up to. He kind of had a rough journey to start his OHL career (with the IceDogs) but he fought for everything he earned. He was in the OHL final (with the Generals in 2024 against London) and lived it. So, you pick his brain. You use any advice he gives you and it’s truly amazing having him as an older brother.
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