Christian Humphreys has been in an NHL dressing room before.
And one of the first times he was there, it was something of a minor disaster.
At least within the insular realm of hockey that is full of silly and nugatory customs.
Like standing on the logo, which teams uphold in such a sacred fashion, they affix it to the floor in the center of a room full of sweaty socks and scuffed skates
In the early 2010s, Humphreys, a Peters Township native who was born in 2006, had an opportunity to skate at what was then called Consol Energy Center through the Pittsburgh I.C.E. (Inclusion Creates Equality) program and ventured into the team’s dressing room.
He made the innocent mistake of walking onto the skating bird emblem.
But that wasn’t the worst of it.
“(Former Penguins forward) Craig Adams was taking us around the locker room and stuff,” Humphreys said by phone earlier this month. “I spilled (blue Gatorade) on the Penguins’ logo (on the floor) a little bit. Kind of a funny moment. Craig was cleaning it up and everything.”
Barring anything unforeseen, Humphreys will have an avenue into another NHL dressing room later this week.
The 18-year-old forward is expected to be a selection in the NHL Draft on Friday or Saturday in Las Vegas.
Projections for where he’ll be chosen vary quite a bit. Outlets that cover draft-eligible prospects have him ranked from the 70s to the 110s.
The NHL’s Central Scouting service ranked him 71st among North American skaters in its final rankings that were issued in mid-April.
For the sake of comparison, forward Carter Sotheran, the 71st-ranked North American skater in the 2023 rankings, was a fifth-round draft pick (No. 135 overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers a year ago.
For his part, Humphreys professes he has avoided dwelling on rankings or mock drafts.
“Obviously, you’ll come across it sometimes, even if you don’t want to,” Humphreys said. “You block out all that noise. Whatever happens in that draft, happens. At the end of the day, it’s just a number. Obviously, you’ve got to prove everything you can to try and get your spot.”
Regardless of where Humphreys may wind up, he would be the third native of Western Pennsylvania to be an NHL draft pick in as many years.
West Mifflin’s Logan Cooley was a first-round selection (No. 3 overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in 2022, and Level Green’s Brandon Svoboda went in the third round (No. 71) via the San Jose Sharks in 2023.
Humphreys would be the 34th player with ties to the region to be selected in an NHL Draft, the first of which was held in 1962.
It will be a fairly limited group to join, for sure. But Humphreys is already a member of a more profound fraternity.
Literally.
One of a group of triplets along with brothers Harrison and James (along with older brother John Clay, 20).
James might be the most accomplished of the trio given the challenges he has faced in his short life.
“Before they were born, we knew he was going to have spina bifida,” said their mother, Michele Humphreys. “We didn’t know how life was going to change. We have an older boy, these triplets on the way. … I was scared. Our whole family was scared. … We’re an active family. We like to ski, we like to be athletic. Very active family. That was one of the concerns before he was born.
“We look back now, and it was the greatest blessing ever. We did more things than we ever thought we could possibly do because of him being born with spina bifida. The fact that he played sled hockey and adaptive sports and it opened up some avenues. … And it made our kids better, better people for it.”
In addition to spina bifida — the literal meaning of the term equates to “split spine” — James Humphreys was diagnosed with testicular cancer at only 6 months of age and then epilepsy at 2.
“How much more can this little guy go through?” Michele Humphreys said. “But he’s got the best attitude. He makes all of us better just watching what he goes through.”
Christian Humphreys’ words reflect that perspective.
“Whenever I’ve done anything like play hockey or go play golf, he always wants to come,” Christian Humphreys said. “It’s little things that that. He wants to look up to me and obviously, I’ll do anything for him. He’s the best brother I could ask for.”
Sled hockey has offered James Humphreys a chance to share a love of the sport with his brothers.
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In addition to Pittsburgh I.CE. in the past, he currently plays through the Mighty Penguins program that is based in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ facility, the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
“We were playing it a couple of weeks ago,” Christian Humphreys said. “It’s fun to get on the ice with him because he skates circles around me. It’s just awesome to see all the work that he’s putting in, whether it’s in the gym or on the ice. He’s just so dedicated and wants to be the best.”
Christian shares James’ desire in that regard.
A product of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite youth program, Christian Humphreys made the decision in 2020 to move to Rochester, N.Y., at the age of 14 to attend Bishop Kearney, a private school with hockey programs that routinely provide a path to the NCAA ranks for players.
And for the past two seasons, Christian Humphreys has skated with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), based in Plymouth, Mich. During the 2023-24 season, he posted 58 points (23 goals, 35 assists) in 52 games with that program’s under-18 team.
4:55-3rd | OZ face-off win by James Hagens leads to Christian Humphreys getting his second of the game. Gives @USAHockeyNTDP a 6-3 lead.#StarsRise | #HappyNewYearpic.twitter.com/yHB2Mdq4aE
— USHL (@USHL) December 28, 2023
“Whenever you get to throw the jersey on for the (USNTDP) … whenever you get a chance to represent your country, I think you’re on a whole different stage,” Christian Humphreys said. “Whatever you do, whether it’s on the ice, you want to represent it the best way. … You have to put a lot of commitment towards it. You’re working out a lot more, you’re skating a lot more, you’re playing with the best guys in the country. It was a blessing for me that I got that opportunity.”
His next opportunity is slated to unfold with the University of Michigan, one of the premier programs in the NCAA.
After initially committing to the green and white of Michigan State, he changed his mind and opted for the maize and blue of Michigan.
In addition to cutting an hour-and-a-half off his drive home, Michigan offered a greater appeal to Humphreys after meeting with coach Brandon Naurato.
“The first time I talked with him, you could just tell he cares about his guys,” Christian Humphreys said. “He treats everyone evenly. … From a development standpoint, Michigan has had such a big history. A lot of guys have come through. For me, if I want to be an NHL hockey player, I think it was the best spot for me.”
Humphreys (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) was in a pretty good spot earlier this month as one of only 100 invitees to the NHL’s Scouting Combine in Buffalo.
This event involves physical testing as well as an opportunity for NHL executives to interview potential prospects.
“The physical side, you’re still competing against other guys,” said Christian Humphreys, a right-hander whose hockey IQ is typically lauded as a leading characteristic. “The interview part of it, you’re just trying to promote yourself as a player.
“Some interviews are different than others. It just depends on how each team approaches it. Some teams go really casual and just want to know you. Some ask some really personal questions. Probably the most interesting question I got there was ‘If you’re a gambler, where would you draft yourself within five picks?’ That one, it was tough.”
But not as tough as what James and the rest of the Humphreys clan have already dealt with.
“Our whole family has perspective,” Michele Humphreys said. “We don’t take anything too seriously. Sometimes, people think Christian is too laid back and not super competitive. But he doesn’t really let it show. He’s competitive in sports, but he knows there’s more to life than this.”
Like James.
“He gives me a new outlook on life,” Christian Humphreys said. “He just makes me so thankful for the opportunities that I’ve got.”
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.