Pucks, Planes And Parachutes: How Tyus Sparks Became A 2026 NHL Draft Prospect

There are countless stories of second-generation hockey players following in their parents' footsteps, but Tyus Sparks has a different origin. 

Yes, he comes from an athletic background, but his dad, Nate Sparks, was a college football quarterback at Boise State who played pro for the CFL's B.C. Lions. The Sparks family resides in Idaho, so Tyus' journey is one of the most unique in the 2026 NHL draft class, where he is projected to go top-75 this summer.

And let's get the wild part out of the way right off the top: in order to play better competition, Sparks would fly from Boise to L.A. to play games for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings every weekend, starting at the age of 10. By 12, he was flying on his own.

Back home in Idaho, he would train with his older brother, Makhai, under the tutelage of their dad – who had to do some research about his sons' sport at first.

"He had no clue about hockey," Tyus said. "He went and studied the whole game, looked at the rulebook so he knew what he was watching – he did a lot."

The result is a burgeoning center with smarts, skating ability and a wicked shot. 

Sparks put up 28 goals and 65 points this season, split between the WHL's Vancouver Giants and Spokane Chiefs, after he was part of a trade that sent fellow 2026 NHL draft prospect Mathis Preston the other way.

Sparks initially caught the hockey bug when he was three years old, and the family went out to Minnesota to visit relatives over Christmas. His cousins took him and Makhai out to an outdoor rink, and it was love at first glide.

"They loved it," Nate said. "They bugged me to get them their own skates the next day."

When they got back to Idaho, the kids signed up to play hockey, and by age six, Tyus was playing with eight- and nine-year-olds – and scoring four goals a game.

Eventually, he got on the radar of the Jr. Kings, and a plan was hatched: Sparks would practise on his own during the week in Idaho, then fly to L.A. for the weekend for games, where he would stay with a teammate's family.

"It was iffy at first," Nate said. "The first year-and-a-half, I went with him, when he was 10. And I had to feel comfortable with the family that would be taking him in on those weekends."

Luckily, it was a great match. Nate said they're still close with the Stickney family, and Tyus got to play elite hockey. The kid also got pretty savvy at travel.

"It was fun being on the plane by myself," Tyus said. "I had a lot of air miles at that point. Now that I've stopped flying everywhere, they've gone away, which is unfortunate, but I got up to gold and platinum status at one point. I was getting upgraded to first class on flights, it was nice."

Back in Boise, Nate watched YouTube videos of Connor McDavid training, but he also relied on his own elite athletic background to work his kids the right way.

"One of the things I always like to tell my kids – and I took it from the movie Miracle – is that the legs feed the wolf," Nate said. "You can't do anything without your legs. You have to work out."

The suite of exercises included band and cable work, burpees, ropes and plyometrics such as box jumps. But also flipping tractor tires and a fiendishly genius setup wherein the kids would sprint in their rollerblades while wearing parachutes.

"I tried to have them do it on the windiest days," Nate said. "And they'd be skating uphill, about 150, 200 yards down the street. When I was growing up playing football, the coaches would drive you into the ground. It was rough. I kept the same attitude with my kids, because if it's rough now, it's going to be easier when you're playing in games."

Clearly, it paid off: Makhai played in the NAHL, while Tyus just completed his second season in the WHL. Getting traded to Spokane meant that Tyus' family could see him live more often, and this summer in Buffalo, they will find out where his NHL future lies at the draft.

While he needs to get more consistent on the ice, Sparks has a great sense of his strengths and who to watch to continue honing those skills.

"I like to watch Dylan Guenther and Jack Eichel," he said. "It was cool seeing them playing each other in the playoffs. Both have great shots, great playmaking ability and great skating ability."

Sparks plans on being back in the WHL next year, where Spokane will have a nice young core ready to take the next step. And if they ever need advice on flights, they know who to turn to.

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