If there’s one thing Brendan Lemieux can bring to the Buffalo Sabres, it’s fire.
The Barrie Colts left winger has a little bit of everything: size, grit, energy.
But he’s also got the scoring touch, a hockey bloodline and plenty of time to keep growing, both literally and in his game. He’s also got an NHL development camp under his belt, as Lemieux attended the Sabres’ development camp earlier this month after being drafted by Buffalo in June, and he’s ready to get going.
Brendan Lemieux, 18, is listed at 6-1, 210 pounds on the OHL’s official website. He’s a Denver native who is preparing to enter his third season with the Barrie Colts in September.
Last season saw Lemieux rack up 53 points in 65 regular season games with the Colts while also managing to accrue 145 penalty minutes. There were just 12 games throughout the regular season where Lemieux WASN’T served with at least one penalty, and he got a slew of them.
From 29 roughing calls to 11 unsportsmanlike conduct minors, three abuse of official calls, plus plenty of others – holding, slashing, interference, and a check to the head, among others – pretty much any penalty you CAN get, Lemieux was served at one point or another.
Barrie went on to the OHL playoffs, ousting the Sudbury Wolves in five games in the first round, and Lemieux had six points (3-3). He followed that with four goals in six games against the North Bay Battalion.
Following the season, Brendan Lemieux prepared for the 2014 NHL Draft. He was ranked 28th by Central Scouting in their final rankings, having moved up ten spots from his midterm ranking.
Despite his ranking heading into the draft, Lemieux wasn’t taken in round one on Friday. Instead, he was forced to go back to his hotel room, sleep off the disappointment and head into day two with a clear head.
They gave one of the more fiery guys in the draft … a lot more fire.
He didn’t have to wait long to get picked, then, as the Sabres picked Lemieux with the first selection in the second round, 31st overall. And while getting passed over in the first round may have been a disappointment, it seems to have only fueled Lemieux’s fire and determination to prove those teams wrong.
Lemieux’s passion and drive for the game are evident, and it certainly hasn’t hurt that he already has NHL blood running through his family.
His father, Claude Lemieux, was a four-time Stanley Cup champion who played with a number of teams, including Montreal, New Jersey and Colorado.
His father was also known for that gritty, tough style of play. He had 1,777 penalty minutes in 1,215 regular season games during his NHL career.
He was definitely considered an agitator, and Brendan Lemieux is no different.
In addition to his OHL numbers, Brendan Lemieux played in the 2014 CHL Top Prospects Game this year. He also represented Canada – and won gold – at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial. Lemieux had two points in five games during the tournament, including a goal in the championship game against the United States.
Barrie coach & #Sabres alum Dale Hawerchuk on Brendan Lemieux on @WGR550: I've never seen a guy want to make NHL more. He will & he'll play.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 3, 2014
Elite Prospects says Lemieux “perfectly fits the cliche as a player you hate to play against, but love to have on your team.” It seems like he’s like his father in that way, and that’s not the only thing Brendan got from his infamous dad. He also got his jersey number from his father’s junior hockey career, and his nickname – also like his dad – is “Pepe.”
Brendan Lemieux can be found on Twitter at @blemieux22– why not throw one of the newest Buffalo Sabres prospects a follow, and see what else he can do when he returns to the OHL’s Barrie Colts in September?