Chicago Blackhawks centre Dylan Strome joined TSN 1050's First Up on Thursday as he approaches restricted free agency in July.

Strome, who has settled into his off-season home in Oakville, Ont., along with his fiancé and 15-month old daughter touched on a variety of topics, including the rivalry with his older brother, Ryan, a forward for the New York Rangers.

Dylan, 25, emphasized that he wants his brother, 28, to succeed and even attended some of his playoff games, but that his lack of head-to-head success against Ryan is frustrating.

“I'm currently 0-and-6 against him,” Strome said. “It's rough. He has six points in those six games. I think I have one. I got my first one against the Rangers this year.

“It's kind of [bothering me] to be honest that I can't beat him, but hopefully I get two more chances at it next year, maybe even more. It's definitely a friendly rivalry, but I think everyone wants to beat their brother. I'm proud of all the success he's had. His line was great all year. They were fun to watch, especially in the playoffs.”

Strome also reflected on his time playing with Connor McDavid for the Erie Otters and fondly recalled racking up points alongside his former linemate.

“It's so crazy because, obviously, he was so much better than everyone in junior at the time,” said Strome, who was spotted at Rogers Centre cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays in a comeback win over the Boston Red Sox earlier this week.

“When you're watching him it's like, how much better can he get? I think everyone would agree that he's ... gotten better every year that he's been in the NHL. I just think ... the sky is the limit for him with what he's done, especially in the playoffs and regular season.

“… Just watching him play, you remember the fun times it was on the power play for sure. I got a lot of power-play points thanks to him. We had a great time.”

Strome tallied a career-best 22 goals along with 26 assists in 69 games in 2021-22, however the Mississauga, Ont., native is hoping for more team success in the future.

Believing that the curse is real, don’t expect to find Strome celebrating a Stanley Cup win unless the trophy has his name on it.

“I think anyone from this area, especially old Toronto or anywhere, believes that the curse is real,” he said. “And if you've touched it, you're likely not going to win. So, I have not touched it. Hopefully I can get there one day.”