The father had no problem getting Lindros to shake his son out of his funk. At the time, Peter Luukko was president of the Spectrum. Now, he is president and chief operating officer of Comcast-Spectacor, the parent company of the Flyers.
"My dad taught me how to skate at the Spectrum," Nick said. "The Spectrum, and then the [Wells Fargo] Center were my second homes."
Nick, 19, is among 41 prospects huffing and puffing through drills and workouts at a training camp that ends Monday. He is more familiar with the surroundings than the other 40 because he has spent most of his life rubbing elbows with Flyers players, front-office workers, and the clubhouse attendants.
But he's not here because his father handed him the keys to the place. He's here because the Flyers own his rights - they picked the 6-foot-2, 180-pound defenseman in the sixth round (No. 179 overall) in the 2010 amateur draft. This is his second prospects camp.
"I'm learning how to play like a pro and how to work out like a pro," he said. "They're trying to help us get to the next level."
Luukko's first season playing at the junior level couldn't have gone much better. He helped the Dubuque Fighting Saints win the Clark Cup, symbol of supremacy in the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in the nation. He had five points, including three power-play assists, and was plus-5 in 11 playoff games. The team is coached by former Flyer Jim Montgomery.
Watching his son celebrate around the Clark Cup gave Peter Luukko some relief from the disappointment of the Flyers' second-round elimination by Boston in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"It gave him someone to root for after the Flyers lost," Nick said.
