Vees sign Niedermayer's son

Photo: Penticton Vees

Jackson Niedermayer

One of the sons of NHL Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer has committed to play for the Penticton Vees next season.

The team announced on Wednesday afternoon the commitment of 17-year-old forward Jackson Niedermayer, from Newport Beach, Calif.

Niedermayer spent the past two seasons playing for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks U-16 team. After 21 points in 32 games as a rookie, he tallied 23 goals and 42 points in 34 games this past season.

One of Jackson's two younger brothers, 14-year-old Joshua, will also be playing in Penticton next year, for the Okanagan Hockey Academy Elite 15s.

The whole Niedermayer clan will be relocating to the Peach City from the California this summer, the Vees said.

It's rumoured that Jackson's father Scott may work with the Okanagan Hockey Academy in some capacity this season. He's spent the past eight years working with the Anaheim Ducks in various roles, since retiring from the NHL.

Scott is a four-time Stanley Cup champion who played in nearly 1,500 NHL regular season and playoff games. He's one of 23 players in the "triple gold club," having won a Stanley Cup, World Championship and Olympic gold.

Jackson said he's learned a lot from how Scott carries himself.

“He was always a humble and quiet kind of guy when it came to his accolades... Just staying humble through it all and not letting anything go to your head is one of the big things he’s taught me," Jackson told Vees play-by-play voice Craig Beauchemin on pentictonvees.ca.

The team said Jackson will wear number 21. He'll join the team on the ice next month for training camp.