Family connections run deep in the NHL, a league that boasts numerous examples of parents and children with plentiful hockey genes.

Bloodlines are the figurative ancestral links connecting those sets of relatives, and in this case, they're applicable to the fathers and sons who thrived in the NHL.

The term refers not to a collection of brothers, but specifically to a legacy passed on to future generations, and there are countless examples of the latter in the annals of hockey history.

Here are the three most dominant bloodlines in the history of the league:

Bobby and Brett Hull

Bobby Hull's legacy is complicated, and while his on-ice accomplishments don't erase any of his off-ice behavior, he remains one half of the most successful father-son duo in NHL history.

The "Golden Jet" was a two-time Hart Trophy winner and three-time Art Ross Trophy recipient who ranks 17th on the all-time goal-scoring list with 610 in 1,063 NHL games, pouring in another 303 in 411 WHA contests.

The elder Hull won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1961 and led the original Winnipeg Jets to three Avco Cup championships in the WHA, earning Hockey Hall of Fame induction in 1983.

Brett's 741 career NHL goals rank fourth all time, and he's one of only five players to score 50 goals in a 50-game span, a feat he pulled off in back-to-back seasons. He also won the Stanley Cup twice, with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002.

The Howes

Everyone knows how legendary Gordie Howe was, and his illustrious career was furthered by the success of his kids.

The late icon ranks second all time in career NHL goals and fourth in points. His son Mark was also exceptional, collecting 742 points in 929 NHL games and another 504 points in 426 WHA contests as a defenseman.

Mark's bother, Marty, also produced in the NHL, registering 184 points in 449 games as a blue-liner.

Mark joined his father and brother on the WHA's Houston Aeros in 1973, and the trio won back-to-back Avco Cup championships together in '74 and '75.

Scotty and Stan Bowman

Scotty Bowman is arguably the greatest head coach of all time, leading the league with 1,244 career wins, all of which came before the shootout increased the number of victories league-wide by eliminating ties.

He won the Stanley Cup nine times as a coach and has an astounding 14 titles, including those earned in his later executive roles.

Stan Bowman has followed in his father's championship footsteps, molding the Chicago Blackhawks into a perennial contender and winning the Cup three times in six years from 2010-16.

Honorable mentions: The Stastnys (Peter, Anton, Marian, Yan, and Paul), The Sutters (hockey's most renowned family includes many notable brothers, but Brandon is the only member of the second generation to succeed in the NHL), the Espositos (legendary brothers but no notable progeny), the Staals (four brothers in the NHL but no previous family link to the NHL), the Parises (J.P. and Zach), the Hextalls (Bryan, Bryan, Jr., Dennis, Ron), the Folignos (Mike, Nick and Marcus), and the Apps family (Syl, Syl, Jr., Syl III).

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.