Teammates with Regina of WHL 'pretty big role models' because of Indigenous roots
© Keith Hershmiller
By William Douglas
@WDouglasNHL NHL.com Staff Writer
William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles Corbin and Jaxsin Vaughan, Indigenous identical twin brothers and teammates with Regina of the Western Hockey League who hope to be the latest twins to be chosen in the same year, at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas.
Jaxsin Vaughan laughs when he recalls a lengthy talk he once had about his play on defense with Brad Herauf, his coach with Regina of the Western Hockey League.
“I just let him finish his whole thing and I told him, ‘Coach, I’m a forward,’” Jaxsin said. “He thought I was my brother. He’s the defenseman.”
Jaxsin and Corbin Vaughan say that happens on occasion as Indigenous identical twins who play for the same team, which they’ve done for most of their lives.
The 18-year-olds from Merritt, British Columbia, who grew up watching forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin star for the Vancouver Canucks, hope to become the latest twins to be chosen in the same year, at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas.
The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and Rounds 2-7 are June 29 (11 a.m. ET; ESPN+. NHLN, SN, SN1).
“It’s in our brains, but it’s not,” Corbin said of the draft. “I think whatever happens happens. It doesn’t change much for us. We’re kind of just going to put our heads down and work through the summer. We’re very focused on making strides this offseason and progressing as much as we can.”
© Keith Hershmiller
Jaxsin (6-foot-1, 206 pounds) is No. 150 on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters. He had 25 points (15 goals, 10 assists) in 59 games for Regina.
“With Jaxsin, he’s an honest hard worker,” Herauf said. “To me, he’s one of those throwback players, like Cam Neely and those guys. Both the boys are known for being old-school hockey players.”
Corbin (6-foot, 205 pounds) is ranked No. 155 among North American skaters by Central Scouting. He had eight points (four goals, four assists) in 33 games for Regina. He missed 31 games following surgery for a lower-body injury.
“Before he got hurt, I feel his game had turned such a big corner,” Herauf said. “He’s a physical force on the ice and can impact the game on that level. But the confidence he had in moving the puck, absorbing and winning 50/50 battles and just being able to transport the puck so quickly up the ice, I think he really evolved his game and changed as a player.”
© Keith Hershmiller
If each is selected, the Vaughans would join a select club of twin brothers chosen in the same draft, the most successful being the Sedins, 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees who were first-round picks by the Canucks in 1999, with Daniel the No. 2 pick and Henrik going No. 3.
“The Canucks were always on in the house when we were kids, being so close to Vancouver,” Jaxsin said. "They (the Sedins) did some pretty special things. They were definitely kind of inspirational and role models there.”
Other notable twins selected in the same draft include Ron and Rich Sutter in 1982 (Ron, No. 4, Philadelphia Flyers and Rich, No. 10, Pittsburgh Penguins); Henrik and Joel Lundqvist in 2000 (Henrik, No. 205, New York Rangers and Joel, No. 68, Dallas Stars); and Kris and Ryan Russell in 2005 (Kris, No. 67, Columbus Blue Jackets and Ryan, No. 211, Rangers).
The Vaughan brothers say being twins helped their progression in hockey.
“It makes things a lot easier for us, just kind of having your best friend there by your side,” Jaxsin said. “I know for lots of our buddies, it was quite hard going into a new environment, a new dressing room, all alone. We’ve never really had to do that just because we’ve had each other. Just being able to experience it all with each other has actually been really cool for us.”
That doesn’t mean that they aren’t competitive with each other. Corbin is the oldest by less than a minute and lords it over Jaxsin.
“Oh, absolutely,” Corbin said. “I eat first every night because I’m the older brother.”
© Keith Hershmiller
Corbin and Jaxsin are as proud of their Indigenous heritage as they are of being twins.
They are members of the Lower Nicola Indian Band, a Nlaka’pamux First Nations government in British Columbia.
The brothers were blanketed March 28, 2023, in a ceremony that signifies respect, milestones and accomplishments in many Indigenous communities.
“We were very honored to be a part of that ceremony,” said Corbin, whose family also has Scottish and Dutch roots. “There were a bunch of chiefs that came in from around Regina, so that was really cool.
“It’s an honor to be Indigenous. And where we’re from, we’re pretty big role models. And I think that’s a pretty good honor, too, that a lot of kids look to us, so we try to be the best person, best player we always can.”
© Keith Hershmiller
