Brothers Luke, left, and Brayden Schenn pose for a photo at the 2009 NHL entry draft in Montreal. The two have kept in close contact during the World Juniors, held in their hometown of Saskatoon. (Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

He doesn’t spend much time there anymore, but Brayden Schenn’s room in his parents’ Saskatoon home still has a bed frame made out of hockey sticks and a red Team Canada rug — the same fixtures that are down the hall in his older brother Luke’s room.

Though neither of the Schenn boys lives in Saskatoon anymore, their parents haven’t changed a thing. “It’s still the same,” Brayden said with a smile.

"We love our hockey basement,” said the boys’ father, Jeff Schenn.

Brayden, 18, is in his third season with the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings, but he’s currently centring a potent offensive line on Canada’s junior team, with Jordan Eberle and Brandon MacMillan on his wings.

Playing for his country in his hometown at the world junior tournament has been special for the whole family.

“I feel lucky to put on the Team Canada jersey, especially in front of so many family and friends,” Brayden said.

“It’s a great thing for [him] to have it in Saskatoon, and hear the cheers,” said Jeff. “We’re very proud parents, and get a lump in our throat when he skates out on the ice [at the start of every Team Canada game].”

Two years ago, it was a slightly different experience for the Schenn family.

Luke was a defenceman on Canada’s junior team that won gold in the Czech Republic. Jeff travelled overseas to watch, but his wife, Rita, stayed with Brayden at another international tournament in Ontario.

Luke, now with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, has fond memories of the trip and is thrilled to see his younger brother get a chance to achieve the same dream.

“That was probably one of the best hockey memories of my career, if not the best,” he said.

Busy season for Schenn family

Although this year's tournament is in Saskatoon, that doesn’t mean Brayden will be coming home for supper anytime soon.

“We never get to have the boys home together until the summer,” Rita Schenn said. “[It seems] we’re never all together as a family anymore.”

The Schenns also have two daughters: Madison, 12, and Macy, 8. Both of them also play hockey and look up to their older brothers — but probably not as much as some of their classmates do.

“The little boys in the classroom can’t believe that their brother is actually in the NHL. And the girls just shrug it off and say, ‘Yeah, he’s still just my brother,’” Rita said.

It’s difficult to co-ordinate schedules when you have one son in the NHL and another on the brink of making it, but the Schenn parents have stressed the importance of family.

“The boys have always been best friends,” Jeff said.

“We make sure they phone each other and phone home each night,” Rita added.

During the world juniors, Brayden says he’s in constant touch with Luke.

“He texted me the other day,” Brayden said, “saying how we could make history if we win the gold.”

Brothers look to join Niedermayers in record book

There hasn’t been a pair of Canadian brothers earn the world junior gold medal since Scott and Rob Niedermayer in the early '90s.

On occasion, Luke also feeds his younger brother some advice.

“He said, ‘Shoot the puck more,’” the younger Schenn said. “That’s one thing I had to do.”

Although Luke hasn’t been able to join the Schenns in Saskatoon for the Team Canada games, he has promised to put the tournament on the TV in the Leafs’ dressing room.

There’s no doubt it’s a great time to be a member of the Schenn family, and this experience would be tough to top, Jeff said. Well, maybe there’s one thing.

“If they made the Olympics, that would be the pinnacle. But there’s still lots of work to do,” he said.