The powerful center with the U16 Waterloo Wolves dazzled at the OHL Cup. Look for him to go early in the OHL draft.
With less than 10 seconds left in a crucial OT game against a hot Peterborough Jr. Petes team, Waterloo Wolves center Brady Martin saw his opportunity. Though Martin had played a ton of hockey already that morning, it was obvious he was going to will his team to victory when he grabbed the puck and went rocketing down the ice. On the other side of the glass, a gaggle of teenagers clearly knew what was coming and dutifully whipped their phones out to record what would indeed turn out to be a breakaway goal for Martin, whose celebration carried him right past those gob-smacked fans.
The OHL Draft takes place later this month and the OHL Cup is the last chance for scouts and GMs to get a look at many of the top names in the U16 class. Martin, who carried an underdog Waterloo team all the way to the semifinal, will be one of the first players selected.
A powerhouse of a player who can take over a game, Martin may have topped his round-robin heroics the next day when his hat trick helped knock off the No. 1 team in the province, the Toronto Marlboros, in a 3-2 quarterfinal victory. The fact Waterloo lost to the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in the semis doesn't diminish the run they had.
"It's a great experience for going into the OHL next year," Martin said. "It's really competitive hockey; physical and really fast. You have to always be on your game or you'll get blown out."
His OHL Cup run was just the latest benchmark for Martin, who also won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the Canada Winter Games this season. But it's not just his on-ice performance that he has been lauded for.
"I don't think Brady gets enough credit for who he is off the ice," said coach Tyler Ertel. "A lot of guys that get this kind of notoriety can get arrogant, but he's a humble guy. He talks to everyone in the room, he's a helluva leader and a good human being."
Of course, he is very impressive on the ice, too. A big fan of Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog, Martin definitely has power in his game, which is impressive at his age.
"It's his compete level," Ertel said. "His edgework is incredible, his strength is incredible and he plays the game right. He'll take the body, he likes to distribute the puck and he's got an absolute rocket of a shot. He's got the total package."
The strength aspect is interesting because Martin hasn't even dipped into weight training yet - when you grow up on a cattle farm in small-town Elmira, Ont., you don't really need machines.
"Well, it's up and at 'er every morning at 6am," Martin said. "Rise and shine. I help with anything in the barn. Shovelling, moving cows, cleaning pens out - anything that needs to be done."
Winning a battle against a fellow 15-year-old on the ice is nothing when you're used to dealing with Angus cattle, after all.
But that strength that Martin has makes him a tantalizing prospect to not only go early in the OHL draft, but to also find his footing early on once he makes it to the circuit. As one of the highest scorers at the OHL Cup, he showed off not just quantity, but a huge clutch element throughout. And those who know him best are excited to see what he can do at the next level.
"He is definitely a franchise player," Ertel said. "He is very special and I look forward to the hockey world watching this guy grow."