Growing up in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, Joe and his brother Brian grew up playing roller hockey in the streets of New York and were both able to make their way into the NHL, with Joe being much more successful.
Lanny McDonald was Toronto's first choice, 4th overall, in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft and got off to slow starts in both his rookie and sophomore seasons.
Naslund had played 9 seasons for the Vancouver Canucks as of 2006. The Pittsburgh Penguins originally drafted Naslund in the first round, 16th overall, in 1991.
