Book it: ‘Sparkplug’ Brady Martin is going to be one of the 2025 NHL Draft’s most versatile prospects

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
Book it: ‘Sparkplug’ Brady Martin is going to be one of the 2025 NHL Draft’s most versatile prospects
Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

At a certain point, skill trumps everything in hockey scouting. But what happens when a player pairs pure puck talent with an unstoppable drive to win every battle possible?

Meet Brady Martin, the Soo Greyhounds star looking to make his mark on the 2025 NHL Draft.

Martin is no stranger to doing a bit of everything to get noticed. During his OHL Draft year in 2023, Martin was far and away the best player on the Waterloo Wolves U-16 team, registering 85 points in 34 games between the regular season and playoffs. He then was the highest-scoring player outside the GTHL in the famous OHL Cup that year, putting the team on his back with eight goals and 12 points in six games.

On one specific play, Martin went end to end after beating all five opponents on the ice to score a huge goal – a play scouts still remember quite fondly.

“It was one of the most memorable performances we’ve ever seen at that tournament,” said an OHL scout. “He had some good linemates, but Martin drove the play every game. He was trying to take the team to the final by himself.”

Martin credits the time he spent with his siblings as a source for making his skill shine through.

“You go to the outdoor rink, you go mess around with the puck and you start to get good at certain tricks,” Martin said during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton.

At that time, it was clear that Martin was going to be a difference-maker at the next level. But it took some time – and injury early in his OHL rookie season hampered his overall production. Mix in the fact that the Greyhounds were “all in,” and it was hard for him to get the opportunities he needed to flourish.

Martin wanted to make a big impression early this season to get things on track, and he was one of Canada’s players at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He had a quieter showing at the U-17s last fall but made an impression with four assists in five games. But beyond the scoresheet, Martin was Canada’s most engaged player during the playoff round, forcing turnovers, playing on the penalty kill and generating high-quality chances.

That momentum carried over to the OHL, where he’s currently thriving as a sophomore. Through 10 games on a Greyhounds team that doesn’t have a ton of scoring options, Martin is up to four goals and 11 points. He’s doing a lot of heavy lifting for the team this year, sitting first in scoring on a group with no NHL-drafted forwards in the lineup. There’s no doubt he’d be putting everyone on notice if he was on a higher-skilled team like Brampton or Windsor, but Martin is still turning heads for how much he’s doing in his draft year. Utah sent back Noel Nordh and Owen Allard, which will help, so we’ll see what happens.

On top of his offensive exploits, he’s seen time on the power play and penalty kill and is getting every opportunity to thrive. Martin’s physical plays make him intriguing, too. He said his dad got him hooked on some old Toronto Maple Leafs tough guys, showing him clips of Tie Domi and Wendel Clark. Martin himself became an Edmonton Oilers fan, following the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But if scouts had to describe his game, it’s a lot closer to someone like Clark, or even Brad Marchand.

“I think I’m just a power forward; I’m just always in there, being physical and using my hands,” Martin said. “I try and use my hands to my advantage against defenders.”

Martin does so much away from the puck to help make himself effective. Nashville Predators draft pick Teddy Stiga was a similar player last year – he put up a ton of points, but it was his play away from the puck that made him intriguing. And given you’ll be without the puck for about 95 percent of any given game in the NHL, it’s important.

“If he doesn’t put up a ton of points, he’ll keep himself relevant in other ways,” a scout said. “It’s because he grinds every shift out like he needs to prove himself, and players like that are popular with coaches. He’s a sparkplug.

Martin has established himself as a potential first-round prospect. Some scouts are still not 100 percent convinced that his offensive will translate to the NHL, but the overall package will allow him to stand out. Martin isn’t too worried about the draft just yet – he wants the Greyhounds to exceed all expectations this year – but he’s never been someone rattled by outside voices. Martin wants to prove he’s capable of being an impact player in the NHL – and the journey is only really starting to heat up.

“There’s a lot of pressure this year, but pressure is good,” Martin said. “And if you can handle the presure, you should be in good shape.”

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