Nurse especially leans on his younger sister. He talks to Kia nearly every day, even when she's halfway around the world in Australia playing for the UC Capitals of the Women's National Basketball League, where she was league MVP this season.
"She's always FaceTiming me, especially when she figures out something new to cook or there's some news or something that she saw," he said. "Me and her, we're really close. A lot of people thought we were twins growing up, we're so close in age and we look alike. We're very tight."
Darnell and Kia were among the supporters present on each other's draft days in the NHL and WNBA.
"One of the biggest moments for me was watching him get drafted," Kia said. "Being able to be there and have his dream come true, well, he's my most inspiring person. He's got everything that you'd want in an athlete and in a person. He's absolutely the hardest worker that I've ever been around.
"He's my best friend. For us, it was probably good that we didn't play the same sport, so that we were very supportive in whatever we were doing. We were competitive in everything outside of that, who got better grades, who could be the fastest to do this or that. But when it came to wanting the other person to succeed and wanting the other person to win in their own right, that was all we wanted."
Sarah said that when she looks at the family tree, she is humbled by the closeness, the built-in cheering section and the common goal to excel.
"I think it's absolutely incredible that everything in our family is celebrated regardless of it being an Olympic medal, being drafted into the NHL or just participating in ice dancing," she said. "Whether it's Kia in basketball or my uncle in football or us in hockey, there are so many different experiences and perspectives to pull upon so if you're ever looking for anything, there's somebody in the family you can call whether you need advice or encouragement. It's amazing to have had that my whole entire life."
Richard is proud of such a strong network of support and shared a recent example of Darnell supporting a younger family member.
When Darnell was home in Hamilton during a break in his schedule, he went to watch Kendra Restauri, his 10-year-old niece, play in nearby Flamborough. After the game, Darnell went to the locker room to speak to and encourage Kendra -- a defenseman who, like him, wears No. 25 -- and all the girls on her team.
Within such a competitive, cohesive group, it should surprise no one that the list of accomplishments has sparked the occasional good-natured game of one-upmanship, including when it comes to deciding who is the best athlete in Darnell's immediate family.