From the road trips to the rink, to cheering on his brothers in the stands as a family, to facing off against his brother in the Ontario Hockey League, hockey has been a part of his family’s routine for as long as Gabriel Frasca can remember.

As he dons the Hockey Canada jersey for the first time at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Langley and Delta, B.C., Gabriel – a rookie with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) – hopes to add his chapter to his family’s hockey success.

“To be able to represent my country and represent my family, it really is an honour to be here to learn and take it all in,” Gabriel says. “Having my two older brothers teach and walk me through everything, it’s something that not a lot of people have and I’m very fortunate to have my family supporting me like that.”

Gabriel, 16, is the third of five brothers, all of whom play the game at a high level. Oldest brother Jordan, 21, is a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect playing with Wilkes-Barre of the American Hockey League. Next comes Jacob, 19, a member of the OHL’s Barrie Colts, with Nick, 14 (a member of the Toronto Marlboros U15 AAA team) and Gianni, 11 (who plays with the Toronto Titans U13 AAA squad) rounding out the Frasca Five.

Gabriel fell in love with hockey the moment he learned to skate. And as he cheered on Jordan and Jacob, he knew it was what he wanted to do.

From that point on, it added to the long days at the rink, early-morning road trips, balancing schedules and finding new equipment for the family, but for mom and dad Shannon and Rocco, it has been a labour of love to raise their sons in hockey.

They have seen how their boys have developed their love of the game over the years, and for Gabriel, it was clear that not only is he dedicated to being the best, but he was also someone who is supportive on and off the ice.

“Gabriel looks out for everyone,” Shannon says. “He’s very vocal and stands up for them and is protective over his younger brothers. He really connects everyone together and he’s like that on his teams as well. He’s very connected to the teams he plays on, his teammates are his best friends and now in Kingston, you can see how much he respects and supports his teammates when they do well.”

“He’s also a very determined person,” adds Rocco. “When he’s determined for something, he won’t back down from what he wants.”

As a child, Gabriel joined his brothers on the ice for shinny to practice his skating and skills. As he got older, he’s shown he can compete with the best - first in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) in the world as the first in his family to wear the Maple Leaf.

After playing three years with the Mississauga Senators in the GTHL, Gabriel became the latest Frasca to play in the OHL, going 17th overall in the Priority Selection to the Frontenacs, where Jordan served as an alternate captain last year before signing with the Penguins.

In one of his last games before departing for the West Coast, Gabriel had an assist as the Frontenacs downed Jacob and the Colts 5-4 last Saturday (Jacob also had a helper). The Frasca clan was in the building to cheer on both boys, and they’ll be supporting from afar as Gabriel takes on the world.

Shannon has no doubt he’ll bring the right mindset to succeed and learn from his opportunity with Hockey Canada.

“I tell Gabriel and my kids that their attitude is something they can control,” she says. “If they go into opportunities and they have a good attitude, even if things don’t always go their way, once that opportunity comes, they’ll be ready.”

Gabriel knows he is ready. He hopes to showcase and develop his skills with Team Canada Red and continue developing into a player that can proudly represent his family and his country.

“I’m focused on winning with this team,” Gabriel says. “It’s about ‘we not me’ and I want to play my role, play my game and control what I can control. Having my family’s support, having them cheer me on and give me feedback, it’s huge, and I want to make them proud.”