Knights in the Morning: Noah Hanifin on Boston roots and 'blue-collar' mindset

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin grew up in Norwood, Massachusetts — just outside Boston — in a hockey-rich community that helped shape his NHL career.

WATCH | In a Q&A with 13 sports reporter Taylor Rocha he spoke about his upbringing, family ties and the work ethic he carries with him today.

Taylor Rocha: What’s the most "Boston" thing about you?

Noah Hanifin: “I would always go with the accent, but I've, I've lost it from all these years playing with the Canadian guys. I've lost the accent a bit. A lot of people from Boston are pretty loyal and family based, and I'd say, you know, my family and a lot of cousins that I'm really close with, so I would say stick to my roots. That's — that's a Boston theme I'd say.”

Q: How did growing up there mold you into the person you are today?

Hanifin: “It's a blue-collar, hardworking town, and I think uh you know I've taken that just throughout my hockey career and making sure you know I've worked hard my whole life to get to where I'm — where I'm at.”

Q: How special is the hockey community in Boston?

Hanifin: “I'm super fortunate to be from there. There's so many great players that have come in, come into the league from the Boston area and going home in the summertime. There's so many guys I can train with and skate with. So we've built a pretty good hockey community there over the past few years, and it's always fun getting back there for the summer.”