On growing up in a Rangers' household, playing against Sid and Ovie, and being a "quiet" leader — from a parent who has had a front-row seat to it all

Adam Fox has played a ton of hockey throughout his life and nobody has watched him, or possibly even taught him, more than his Dad. 

What was once a dream for his son just to step on an NHL ice surface, has now turned into a Hollywood kind of reality as Adam gets set for his fifth year with the New York Rangers — the team he grew up rooting for. 

Whether it's driving thousands of miles for a tournament or waking up for early morning ice sessions before school, to late night's at the rink watching practice, not to mention sacrificing all of the time and money that goes into playing the sport at such an elite level, hockey parents are the best. 

As a former player myself, the first person I would call after every game in college was my Dad. He knew my game better than I did from watching me play my whole life. So I thought it would be interesting to hear from Bruce about his relationship with Adam and how it has progressed throughout his NHL career. 

Bruce Fox is one of the ultimate hockey dad's out there.

Five years ago, Bruce just wanted his son to have a chance to make the Rangers. Now that Adam has a Norris Trophy, All-Star appearance and trip to the Eastern Conference Finals under his belt, his father still pinches himself that his Adam is a Ranger. But his perspective on a night-to-night basis has certainly gotten more competitive.

I had a great conversation with Bruce prior to the Rangers home opener against the Arizona Coyotes. Below is our conversation: 

Jonny Lazarus: This is Adam's 5th year as a Ranger. Is it still just another game for you? Or do you pinch yourself seeing him skate out in the Garden in a Rangers uniform? 

Bruce Fox: It's still...sometimes you have to pinch yourself, yes, definitely. It doesn't get old, trust me. 

JL: How have your post-game conversations changed over the years now that he isn't a young guy anymore and has such a big impact on the game? Do you critique his game more now?

BF: I'm always critical. If he doesn't play well, I let him know, but I'm more subtle about it. 

JL: Not as aggressive as you used to be? 

BF: No...(*thinks about it) No, haha. 

JL: Is there a Rangers game from Adam's childhood that you attended that stands out as a great memory?

BF: I can't remember any because his brother [Andrew] went to more games than him because he was busy traveling around...playing in 10 youth hockey tournaments from the age of five. So he went to a few games, but his brother went to most of the games.

JL: I'll give a shoutout to Andrew. What was his favorite game as a kid?

BF: (With a big smile on his face) The Rosival overtime game against Buffalo.

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JL: Adam has overcome a lot throughout his career. Is there one saying or one piece of advice that you gave him that sticks with him?

BF: The only thing that I remember is...one time, he had a coach that told him to flip it off the glass. Glass-and-out. Old school. And I told him, 'You never, ever, go glass-and-out. I don't care what the coach tells you.'

JL: Nobody knows players quite like their Dad. Is there something that you see about your son's game that nobody else notices, but you could tell if he's on his game or not?

BF: I can tell in the first two shifts. 

JL: What sticks out the most?

BF: (*smirking) I don't want to say. 

JL: (*chuckles) Totally fair. 

JL: What was your first 'I can't believe my son just pulled that off in the NHL' moment?

BF: Like 10 games in, he played against Edmonton. It was an afternoon game, and he was out there. His job was to be out there against [Leon] Draisaitl and [Connor] McDavid. I kept turning to my other son and saying 'I can't believe he's out there against McDavid and Draisaitl.' To me, it was beyond anything. But the All-Star Game was cool. The game rates a zero, but when I saw him starting with [Alex] Ovechkin and [Sidney] Crosby ... you have to remember when Adam was a kid, these were The Guys. It's like, if a kid came to the NBA now and started with LeBron [James] in the All-Star Game. That blew me away a little bit. 

JL: Now that Adam is an assistant captain, can you just describe him as a leader and a guy around the room?

BF: There's a couple of types of leaders. [Jacob] Trouba deserves to be the captain. He's a great guy, great leader. Adam is just quiet. He's a pros pro. He just doesn't talk much. He just goes about his job. You need leaders like that too. 

JL: Like all hockey dad's, how badly do you want to just stand on the glass by yourself and not be bothered while watching your son play in the NHL?

BF: 100 million percent. There is no number...and I mean no number. 

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JL: If you could talk to the 13-year old version of your son right now, what would you tell him? 

BF: (*Takes a second to think)...Power skate (laughs). 

The Father-Son bond is certainly a special one, in all aspects of life, but especially in hockey. 

I also wanted to give a shout out to Adam's Mother, Tammy and his older brother Andrew. The three of them have all been a huge part in his path to the NHL and it is all the more sweeter that they get to attend his games at Madison Square Garden. 

Bruce and his family used to go to MSG as fans to watch their favorite team play, but now their viewing experience has changed quite a bit — for the better I might add!

Instead of going as just fans, they get to go and watch their son/brother take the ice as a top defensemen in the National Hockey League and they are enjoying it every step of the way.