This story originally appeared in the Duluth News Tribune on Dec. 23, 2016.

Three generations of Hills and Fishers convened Wednesday evening at the Heritage Center.

Hockey — no, Duluth East hockey — dominated the discussion. It’s the tie that binds these families, beginning in the late 1950s.

That’s when Dick Fisher and Bob Hill started skating together for the Greyhounds. They anchored an East blue line that propelled the Greyhounds to the 1960 single-class state title. Both went on to star at Minnesota Duluth.

Twenty-five years later, their sons — Dave Fisher and Noel Hill — were East defensemen, both of whom also played at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The quirky consistency continues with the present-day Greyhounds.

Reid Hill is an East senior and Will Fisher a junior. Their positions? Where else? Defense. They were predisposed, these millennials following in the tracks of their Gen X fathers and pre-baby boomer grandpas.

“What is it, almost 30 years later? And now our kids are also playing together,” Noel, who turns 49 on Sunday, said. “It is unique. Maybe some of us just didn’t go too far from home.”

If history does, indeed, predict the future, expect a Hill and Fisher teaming up at East sometime around 2045. The pressure’s on, Reid and Will.

“You probably have a better chance of winning the Powerball,” Noel joked. “Three generations is weird enough.”

Road-tripping across the state to watch their sons compete, Dave and Noel are doing many of the same things their dads did in the mid-1980s — sort of. Following a 14-year stint on Duluth Denfeld’s bench, Bob coached the Greyhounds for two seasons, from 1984-86, before retiring. On his final team at East, Noel was a senior and his brother, future NHLer Sean Hill, was a sophomore.

Dave, 49 now, graduated in 1985.

This is a story that would benefit from a flow chart, wherein clarity is concerned.

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