Canada’s Brady Martin is built for big-time moments

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – There’s a special aura surrounding Nashville Predators prospect Brady Martin.

Everyone knows his backstory by now. He missed the 2025 NHL Draft – when he was taken fifth overall – so he can continue attending to his cows at the family farm in Elora, Ontario. Then, he admitted to eating two chocolate-glazed donuts from Tim Hortons before every game. He can’t do that in Minnesota, though, so he spent the past week in Minneapolis chomping on some Chic-Fil-A instead before finishing the night with some post-game pizza.

That might not sound like the diet of a champion. But given his play on Canada’s second line, it’s clearly working for him.

Martin has been one of the most impressive forwards at the 2026 World Junior Championship, registering four goals and eight points through five games. Canada is set for a rematch against Czechia on Sunday evening, with Martin looking to build on his two-point performance from the first meeting between the teams.

Martin’s role wasn’t easily defined heading into selection camp. But a two-goal performance in the first pre-tournament game against Sweden while playing alongside Gavin McKenna and Michael Hage seemed to have sparked an idea in coach Dale Hunter’s head. The trio was reunited for the third pre-tournament game, and they’ve stuck together to become Canada’s most lethal line ever since.

“He’s a hard-nosed player, but with skill,” Hunter said after the first pre-tournament game. “It’s very hard to find players like that. He plays hard, he knows how to score, he goes to the net, and he’s hard to play against.”

Hockey Canada clearly likes Martin. The hard-nosed forward had 11 points in seven games at the 2025 U-18s, helping the team win gold against Sweden. Martin had two goals in the finale, saving his best performance for last. You can say the same about his play at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup as well, where he had an assist in the championship game against, you guessed it, Czechia. In that game, Martin was applauded for his relentless work ethic and ability to win just about every puck fight.

Few players can match the energy Martin brings to a shift. And when the games start to really matter, Martin’s spiritedness towards winning every battle is unmatched. That’s what makes him a big-game player.

“He’s one of a kind,” McKenna said earlier in the tournament. “He’s just so energetic. Every single guy loves him in that room. He’s a glue guy.”

Martin has played for Canada internationally in three prior events, winning gold twice. While he hasn’t gone deep with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds yet, he put his name on the map with an outstanding performance at the 2023 OHL Cup. He finished with eight goals and 12 points in just six games for the Waterloo Wolves. His linemate, Brendan Gerber, was the only player on the team to have more than four. That tournament was close to three years ago, but scouts still remember it fondly. It showed that Martin could elevate his game to a level few others could match.

The Predators clearly agreed, and they gave him a three-game NHL stint to kick off the year. Martin started as the team’s No. 1 center, and while that didn’t last long, he showed what he could during camp to stick around and lean on guys like Steven Stamkos and Filip Forsberg.

“He absolutely earned that gig,” one scout said. “He grinded away during the pre-season like his career depended on it, and he was easily one of Nashville’s top forwards.”

Back in the OHL, the Greyhounds captain has 16 points in 13 games. He had 33 goals and 72 points during his draft season. Given the team wasn’t deep offensively, shows you just how effective he was. Nobody will mistake Martin for being the most skilled forward around, but with his Sam Bennett-like playstyle, there aren’t many shifts where Martin isn’t making something happen.

It’s clear from watching Martin that he loves the spotlight. He scored twice in that chaotic game against the Finns to help Canada finish first in Group B. His office seems to be directly in front of the net, where he uses his rugged frame to outmuscle opponents and capitalize on rebounds. The best word to describe him is “fearless”, because while he isn’t the largest player, he often plays like it.

Scouts have always loved Martin’s confidence. He believes in himself and in his processes. Martin has never played on a stage as big as the World Junior medal round. But there’s little doubt that he won’t have a positive impact over the next two days. Canada is thriving right now, boasting a tournament leading 32 goals and 47.06 power-play performance. This feels like a significant level above the groups that found early exits in 2024 and 2025. By all accounts, Canada seems like the favorite to win gold.

To do that, Martin is going to need to be on his A game. And given how he has played in Minnesota so far, you shouldn’t bet against that.

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