Thursday, August 21, 2025, the day of signings: that’s what we’re going to call it.
The Peterborough Petes signed first-overall pick Kaden McGregor. Sarnia Sting signed fourth-overall pick Brenner Lammens. Kingston Frontenacs signed ninth-overall pick Aleks Kulemin. Kitchener and London each made signings of their own. And the Brantford Bulldogs were the busiest of the bunch, recruiting three defensemen, including their 2025 first-round draft pick.
It was their last signing of the day, but the biggest one. The Bulldogs organization announced the signing of defenseman David Buchman to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Brantford drafted him 20th overall this past June after a highly successful season playing for the Ottawa Valley Titans in the HEO U16 alongside Kaden McGregor.
Buchman, 16, was born in Vancouver, BC, but grew up in Stittsville, Ontario. With the Titans during the 2024-25 campaign, he led all defensemen in points by a substantial margin in the HEO U16 league, accumulating 48 points (10 goals, 38 assists) in 31 games. His 48 points also ranked fourth in the entire league.
The smooth-skating 5-foot-11 rearguard recorded 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) in five games at the 2025 OHL Cup. Additionally, he recorded the third-best plus/minus rating in the tournament with a +8. His consistency with and without the puck was impressive at the event. He possesses the ability to identify passing lanes on the breakout and in transition at a fast rate. Along the blueline, he never stays in the same spot, constantly activating himself offensively.
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Buchman is also represented by Newport Sports Management, explaining why his OHL signing came so late in the summer, just like McGregor, Lammens, and Kulemin.
Brantford’s day of signings started in the morning, when they announced the signing of defenseman Cam Hankai to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Hankai, 18, was drafted 82nd overall in the fourth round of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection by the Bulldogs. He has spent the last two seasons playing in the OJHL. In 2023-24, he recorded 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 46 games with the Brantford 99ers. Last season, his production soared as a member of the Haliburton County Huskies, recording 51 points (11 goals, 40 assists) in 55 games. He finished fourth amongst defensemen in points and was named to the OJHL’s Second All-Star Team. Additionally, he went on a long playoff run with Haliburton, recording 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 17 games, but the run was cut short in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“A big, physical defender with strong offensive instincts, Cam is a player we had high hopes for from his draft. Cam has shown not only his incredible work ethic but his ability to persevere through injury early in his junior career to earn his way to both an NCAA commitment and an OHL signing,” said Brantford Bulldogs Assistant GM Justin Ismael regarding his new defenseman.
Hankai is committed to Bowling Green State University of the NCAA.
In between the signings of Hankai and Buchman, the organization announced the recruitment of defenseman Jude Bray to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Bray, 17, was drafted in the 10th round, 197th overall, by the Kitchener Rangers in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. Earlier in the summer, the Bulldogs acquired his signing rights from the Rangers in exchange for a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick (Sarnia).
Hailing from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, the 5-foot-10 left-shot blueliner was a high-end player in his OHL draft year with the prestigious Toronto Marlboros organization. He led their blueline in points during the 2023-24 season with 42 (5 goals, 37 assists) in 57 games. Bray got the opportunity to play with the dynamic forwards Pierce Mbuyi and Adam Valentini that year.
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Bray would’ve gone higher in the draft, but he was headed for the NCAA and currently holds a commitment to Penn State University. He spent last season over in Western Canada playing in the BCHL for the Sherwood Park Crusaders. He put together a respectable 16-year-old season on their blueline, recording 22 points (2 goals, 20 assists) in 50 games.
“Jude brings advanced offensive instincts from the blueline to go along with his high-end skating ability and represents a building block for future & sustained success in Brantford,” said Ismael.
With three more defensemen added to the fray, the blueline in Brantford for the upcoming season is a crowded one. Where are all their blueliners going to fit in? There are going to be many who won’t be regulars in the OHL this season with the Bulldogs. By my count, excluding Adam Jiricek, who I don’t believe will return, they have 11 defensemen signed. Having that level of depth is great for the organization. However, players like Bray, Buchman, Hankai, Daniel Chen, and Ben Radley are going to have themselves quite the ice-time battle.
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