FEATURE: Lowe and Simpson go full circle

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Before they were Bakersfield Condors teammates, Keegan Lowe and Dillon Simpson were Edmonton minor hockey opponents.
"He (Simpson) was on the enemy team in summer hockey when we played against each other," Lowe said.
"We always beat the wheels off him."

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And before they were members of the Edmonton Oilers organization, it was their fathers - Kevin and Craig - who represented the franchise, winning the Stanley Cup together in 1988 then again in 1990.
"Growing up an Oilers fan and being around the room, being around the organization a bit when my dad was here," said Simpson, "it's a proud moment to be able to put on the colours and be part of this organization."
The two long-time friends, foes, Edmontonians, Vimy Ridge Academy Hockey Program attendees and now, teammates, are aware of the unique situation they're in. When they sit together on a practice day in Rabobank Arena, they remember their days growing up together in Edmonton.
"We went to school together at a young age, our dads were friends and they obviously played together as well," said Simpson, who has one goal and seven assists in 37 games this season.
"Keegan's been a great friend of mine my entire life and it's kind of cool how full circle now, we're playing together here in Bakersfield."
They began as local rink rats in the Oilers locker room when they were children. That was merely the beginning. They recall those encounters as valuable lessons regarding the rigours of professional hockey, now applying what they've learned to their own careers.

"As far as being around the room and stuff as a kid, we were fortunate to have that," said Lowe, a 2011 third-round Carolina Hurricanes draft choice that signed with the Oilers on July 1, 2017. "My uncle (Ken Lowe), as most people know too, worked for the team. I hung out in the training room with him a lot when I was around the rink. I got to see the warriors like Jason Smith and guys like that after games and practices with ice bags strapped on their shoulders and knees."
Simpson, an Edmonton Oilers fourth-round selection also from the 2011 NHL Draft, has been with the organization for the entirety of his professional career
"You get an idea of what it takes," he said of his childhood surrounded by the Oilers organization. "The type of guys in the dressing room, the amount of skill and hard work that goes into it. Growing up around that, you get a sense of the dedication needed to be able to play in pro levels."
The two depth defencemen are part of a young crop of Condors blueliners but at the age of 24, are both seen as veterans on the back end for the club. They've been doing their part to help adjust rookie defencemen Caleb Jones, Ethan Bear and Ryan Mantha to the pro game. Lowe's been partnered with Jones lately and Simpson defends alongside Bear.
"For the young guys coming in, they've had the right attitude," said Simpson. "It's easy for us to pass on the little trinkets to those guys. We're still young guys trying to get better as well but it keeps us youthful dealing with the young guys every day."

Unless they're throwing out a playful joke at a fellow teammate, neither player considers themselves vocal.
"I think we're both the 'lead by example' kind of guys," said Lowe. "We both go out there and do the little things right and hope guys follow that path."
It's an unusual instance and the two defencemen know it. They've cherished the season understanding that it's not often childhood friends share the ice donning the same jersey at the pro level like they did in summer hockey or like their fathers did in the past.
"It's definitely cool," said Lowe. "It's one of those things that not many people get the chance to do, whether it's in the minor league affiliate or for the team that our fathers' played for," said Lowe.
"But even just wearing the colours is cool enough for me."