Jamie Oleksiak, BMOK (Big Man On Kraken)

Seattle Defenseman One Of Star-Studded Athletic Siblings

As a 6-foot-7 Seattle Kraken defenseman - before putting on skates - there's precious few NHL players Jamie Oleksiak has had to literally look up to.

On the Mitts Off podcast, he did think of one, during Oleksiak's time with the Pittsburgh Penguins. "We were playing in the Garden, and I'm in the corner battling for the puck. I just feel a big cross-check on my back, two of them, and I went, okay, whoever this is, it's time. I got to do something here.

"I turn around and I'm just looking at the 'spoke' (the circle B on Bruins sweaters). I tilt my head up, and it's Big Z." That would be the nickname for 6-foot-9 defenseman Zdeno Chara, the tallest man ever to play in the NHL, who lasted for an amazing 24 seasons.

"My stick is already down, my gloves are half off," Oleksiak recalled. "And I was like, all right, man, I guess we got to do this. 

"I remember at one point in the fight, I got my right arm loose, and I was like, okay, I'm going to connect on this one. Just air. Nowhere near him. So that was a fun fight." 

Once the combatants were delivered to the penalty boxes, they did what hockey fighters often do - chat amiably. In this case, Big Z revealed to Jamie why he was worn out - the fight had come at the tail end of a two-minute shift. "He did pretty well even after that," Oleksiak said, smiling.

Jamie Oleksiak comes from a distinguished athletic family. Brother Jake played college hockey, sister Hayley was a college rower, and then there's sister Penny - the first Canadian to win four medals in the same Summer Games.

Prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics, Jamie, who's seven years older, was already playing with the Dallas Stars AHL farm team in Austin. 

"Penny started pretty late, 14 or 15 when she started swimming. I would get updates from my mom all the time. I'd be like, 'I'm glad she's found something she enjoys doing.' Just thinking it was a casual thing. 

"And then I remember getting a call from my mom, and it's like, 'Oh, she's going to Rio this year for the Olympics.' I was just, 'Wait, what?'" Jamie joined his family in Brazil to cheer Penny on. "We weren't expecting a whole lot. But she won. I think it was four (medals), who's counting? We were just losing it after that."

Jamie Oleksiak took advantage of family connections for part of his summer training. "It can get monotonous doing the same thing over and over again. I want to work different muscle groups. I did some pool training with one of Penny's old coaches. And then I saw videos of myself swimming, and I went, okay, I don't think this is my sport. Definitely not going to beat Penny in any races anytime soon."

Oleksiak's training focus is about adapting to an evolving sport. "They keep saying the game's getting smaller and faster. Gone are the days where you're a big guy that just finishes checks, and that's it. You have to contribute in different ways. 

"I try to put that work in the off-season to improve mobility and add different aspects to my game. Quick feet and lateral movement is huge."