Lammens selected fourth overall in OHL draft

Brenner Lammens credits the Toronto Red Wings U15 and U16 programs with development leading to his OHL draft. 

By Jeff Tribe

Advocate Correspondent

Being selected fourth in the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) draft is a moment most hockey players can only dream of.

And while the fact the Sarnia Sting’s pre-draft communication had placed Brenner Lammens inside Cogeco TV Studio in Burlington for the Friday, April 11th event took some of the drama out of the announcement, it was still ‘awesome.’

“Just to hear my name called, it was pretty special,” said the 15-year-old Langton resident two days later in between Langton Six-Pack tournament games. “Mom and dad celebrating, big hug from my sister (Isla).”

It was an accomplishment Brenner had been building toward since taking to the ice as a two-year-old in the Langton Arena.

In his OHL draft prospect profile, Director of OHL Central Scouting Darrell Woodley called the six-foot, 190-pound Lammens a ‘gamer’ and big-game player who elevated his game to match circumstances. Lammens would rather go through opponents than around them and is a great skater with skill whose greatest attributes may be his compete level and work ethic Woodley continued.

However, the director of central scouting also credited Lammens with a skill level resulting in ‘a lot of really nice goals’, the ability to beat people wide or in the centre of the ice, skills that are trending in the right direction.

As captain, Lammens scored 17 goals and contributed 19 assists in 26 games for the GTHL’s Toronto Red Wings U16 AAA squad in his draft year, adding 59 penalty minutes. The previous season, he netted 21 goals and 14 assists along with 132 penalty minutes, underscoring the blend of skill and physicality Woodley referred to.

Lammens describes himself as a physical 200-foot power forward who plays with an edge and high level of ‘compete.’ He likes to model his game after Sam Bennett, the Tkachuk brothers and Tom Wilson, four NHLers cut from that same mould.

“They’re not just physical, they score a lot of goals,” Lammens added.

He played in Langton until the age of eight, moving onward to progressively higher levels of hockey. He was a fixture at his father Terry’s Tillsonburg Thunder games, playing mini sticks in the hallway and helping tape sticks in the dressing room.

“It was kind of my first impressions of hockey,” said Brenner. “Where I fell in love with it.”

Lammens expressed thanks to the Red Wings and coach Jamie Fawcett for the major role they played in his development.

“They helped me get to where I am.”

Lammens was contacted by 18 of 20 OHL teams prior to the draft, many of whom expressed interest, along with the expectation he would not be available when it came to lower picks. He underwent many interviews with organizations, zoom calls with multiple team officials posing questions.

“Just trying to see who I am, I guess.”

Lammens received pre-draft notice he would be selected fourth by the Sting, a requirement to have him onsite at the TV studio for post-draft reaction.

“I didn’t know what to say,” Lammens recalled. “I was smiling the whole time.”

‘Honoured’ to be selected by the Sting, Lammens subsequently met with the ownership group, head coach Alan Letang and GM Dylan Seca.

“Great people,” said Lammens. “I said a lot of ‘thank-yous.’”

He appreciates the geographical proximity of Sarnia, close enough to home for friend and family support, as well as a potential billet in former motocross coach Kyle Thompson, hired as a videographer by the OHL team. The Sting also subsequently selected Myles Dunn, one of Brenner’s best friends.

“Pretty pumped to be there, couldn’t be in a better spot." 

Lammens looks forward to joining a roster featuring ‘a ton of young guys who are really good,’ realizing he needs to get ‘bigger, stronger and faster’ to match the level of play in ‘The O.’

“It gives you a better opportunity to develop,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

With a laugh, his mother Saira said Brenner was the only player drafted into the OHL from the Toronto Red Wings and the Langton Thunderbirds Oldtimers, the younger Lammens joining his father Monday nights off the spare-list.

“It was a running joke,” she explained, “‘Oh, you got the call up.’"

Brenner has had to give up on his other athletic love, a sponsored motocross ‘full ride,’ a casualty of having to focus on hockey. But with a lifelong dream realized not only for Brenner but the family, there is definitely an air of celebration within the Lammens household.

“Pretty surreal,” said Saira.

The OHL draft marks a major milestone for Brenner, but he views it only as a beginning rather than an end.

“It starts now, I really have to work hard and push myself,” Lammens concluded. “Try to improve as much as I can in the next years and hopefully be prepared to move on.”

Brenner Lammens (centre), photographed in the Sarnia Sting dressing room along with coach Alan Letang and GM Dylan Seca.