It’s hard to separate the Saponari brothers.
In just the last year, Vinny followed Victor to play hockey at Boston University where they were part of the Terriers’ dramatic NCAA Division I hockey championship in April.
Now, Victor has followed Vinny to the Thrashers’ Prospect Development Camp where they are working on their games with hopes of making the NHL one day.
Not bad for a couple brothers from Powder Springs. Victor, 21, just completed his sophomore season at Boston University. Vinny, 19, won a national title in his freshman season.
“It’s going to be hard to top,” Vinny said of BU’s 4-3 overtime victory over Miami (Ohio) after trailing 3-1 with less than a minute to play in regulation.
The Thrashers selected Vinny in the fourth round (94th overall) of the 2008 draft. He participated in the team’s prospect camp last year and this year his older brother joined him as a non-Thrashers property invitee. They will return to Boston in the fall to continue their collegiate careers.
“It’s up to what the Thrashers want from me and how I’m progressing as a prospect,” Vinny said about the timetable for his career. “I have to get bigger and stronger definitely, to be ready for the NHL. It depends on what I need and what they need.”
But surely, he looks ahead?
“You watch games and you see players in different roles and you think, yeah, in a few years I can be ready to play like that,” Vinny said.
As a freshman Vinny, a 6-foot, 180-pound forward, had 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in 35 games. Victor, a 5-10, 170-pound forward, appeared in six games with one assist.
There is no sibling rivalry — not anymore.
“Growing up we would always push each other,” Victor said. “He would play up at my level. Now we are at the same level so we are pushing each other to get better. Back when we were little kids it was a huge competition, sibling rivalry. But now it’s more like helping each other out. It goes back and forth. . . . It’s helping each other, doing whatever it takes, to get to the next level.”
There is plenty to learn during the Thrashers’ six-day prospect camp, which ended Wednesday, lessons that they will take back to Boston.
“They give you a list of what pro players look for in a game, things you should do,” Victor said. “Having that kind of checklist in my locker at BU, to just look at that and say ‘OK, work on these three things.’ That will make me so much better.
“The list includes things like having your stick down on the ice, always accelerating your feet, crash the net hard. Those type of things.”
Being from Atlanta and playing for the Thrashers has its benefits. The two shared a car while in Duluth, while other prospects where shuttled in vans. They’ve had family come to watch practices and planned at least one trip home.
The Saponaris were local hockey fans from the beginning, cheering for the old Atlanta Knights of the International Hockey League. When the Thrashers came to town 10 years ago, well, that was even better. Now, having a chance to play one day for the home-town team, that’s better still.
“It definitely makes it better getting drafted here,” Vinny said. “It was a dream come true. I went to the Thrashers inaugural game . . . “
“We were in the 400s [section], we were way up there,” added Victor.
“. . . and I’ve been a fan since then,” Vinny continued. “Being able to be a part of the organization and hopefully eventually make it on the team would be better than any other team.”
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