GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR, N.L. – Years of practice paid off for Brandon Casey when he heard his name called in Shawinigan, Quebec.
“It was probably the best feeling I’ve ever experienced,” Brandon said. “It’s something that’s hard to explain. It was a really good feeling, I was just so happy.”
Brandon was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) entry draft by Rimouski Oceanic on June 2. The 75th overall pick, Brandon played at Newbridge Academy in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia last season. While he isn’t sure who’s jersey he’ll be wearing next season, the Grade 10 defenceman is hoping to attend Oceanic’s training camp in August.
“Hopefully I can crack their lineup,” he said. “They’re a really good organization.”
Brandon realized hockey could be a profession for him after his second year of Pee Wee minor hockey.
“I won top defenceman on the island,” he said. “So I kind of thought, maybe I could keep pushing with this. Once I hit Bantam, I repeated it and won again. I felt like it could be something more than just a hobby.”
Glenn Casey, Brandon’s father, coached his son in Grand Falls-Windsor before he departed for Dartmouth. Casey said from an early age he recognized the passion and ability his son possessed.
“We just really took it one year at a time,” he said. “My brother Brian played pro hockey for 10 years, so we had that experience to rely on as well.”
Casey said his goal was to do whatever he could to help Brandon’s development, and to prepare him to take the next step.
“To say I was proud, absolutely,” he said. “Proud is an understatement to be honest with you. When his name got called, knowing that he got drafted by Rimousky, which is a great organization, certainly it was probably the proudest moment of mine and his hockey career.”
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Half-dozen from Newfoundland and Labrador selected in QMJHL draft
