The other is a foothills kid, as comfortable in the saddle of a mountain bike as he is with a fly rod in his grip. He’s a left winger from tiny Bragg Creek, Alta., raised by ultimate helicopter parents Bruce and Torrie Holloway — flying skiers up the mountain all winter and helping put out wildfires in the summer months. Together, Philip Bromberg and Dylan Holloway represent that hallmark of the cap era: two young, entry-level contracts that could help a cap-less league team. Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland put it simply: A spot on Edmonton’s blue line is Broberg’s to lose, while Holloway should earn a spot among the Top 12 forwards. With Holloway still only 20 years old, the GM won’t let him languish in an NHL-style box when he could be playing top minutes in the American League. So it’s pretty simple, right? Their opportunity awaits, starting here at the Young Stars tournament in Penticton. All they have to do is seize the moment. “I certainly don’t think it’s as easy as being the right person at the right time. You’ve got to win it,” Holloway said before the Oilers’ opener in Penticton, a 3-2 victory over the rookie Winnipeg Jets. “I’m going to do everything I can to try to earn a spot here, like you said, a younger guy on a shorter contract.” Evander Kane will play on the left side next to Connor McDavid when the NHL season begins, and either Zach Hyman or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will flank Leon Draisaitl. Warren Foegele is back on the left side and has 282 games and four NHL seasons on young Holloway. However, there is room at the inn if Holloway can make the roster. And if it’s a job Holloway is up to, well, he’s got some digging experience. His first summer job was clearing pastures at home. “I’m basically shoveling horse poop.” He worked at a Carl’s Jr. “flippin’ burgers” and owned a firewood business with his brother. “We cut trees, we cut firewood. People like to come to Bragg Creek to camp, so we would sell them firewood.” Today’s player is more like Bromberg, the son of two educated, former professional athletes. Fewer and fewer are making it to the NHL through backrooms like Holloway’s, from a city without a minor hockey system whose only rink was outdoors. Broberg came through Sweden’s ranks as that full-back whose superior stride gave him every advantage, classic defender Tres Kronor, an export the country has perfected, captaining the World Junior team in 2021. He is six-foot-three and added 12 pounds this summer in hopes of being able to defend with some extra power at the NHL level. “I feel ready for this year. I worked hard this summer, so I feel good,” Broberg said. He will slot into Edmonton’s left side behind Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak, with the plan being that the Oilers could have some trees in their Top 4 one day soon. But like Holloway, being told there’s a job waiting for you and actually grabbing that ring can be completely different things. He has taken care of the physical side, but the mental side? We will soon find out. “I got stronger and more physically ready to play, but you have to be there mentally. You have to be able to believe that you deserve to be there. That you’re good enough to be there.” On a team that lost left tackle Oscar Klefbom to a career-ending shoulder injury, Bromberg arrives as the perfect replacement. The new Volvo, which may not be the same as the old one, but may ultimately be even better. What kind of defenseman does Broberg want to be? “A big part of my game is being a two-way defender,” he said. “I want to be reliable in the D zone. I want the coach to trust me defensively, play long minutes and play fast. And then the offense will come through my skating.” Broberg played 23 games last season. He is way ahead of Holloway. However, the moment has arrived for both of them. Who can seize the moment?
