The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place June 28-29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Round 1 is June 28 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), and Rounds 2-7 are June 29 (11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+, NHLN, SN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles of top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, we profile defenceman Harrison Bruenicke of the Kamloops Western Hockey League. You can find NHL.com’s complete draft coverage here.
Harrison Bruenicke hopes to one day become the first South African-born skater to play in the NHL.
The 18-year-old was born in Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, and moved to Calgary at age 2. The only South African-born player to play in the NHL is goaltender Ollie Kolzig, who was born in Johannesburg to German parents. Kolzig was selected 19th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1989 NHL Draft and played 17 seasons there from 1999 to 2000, including winning the Vezina Trophy.
“I’ve been thinking about it. … I think it’s pretty special,” Brunicke said.[The South African Ice Hockey Federation] “I’ve had so much support from everyone who’s contacted me and from my whole family. Hockey isn’t a big sport in South Africa, so to come to Canada and play and have the success I’ve had is really special.”
Andy Milne, captain of the South African ice hockey team, recently sent an encouraging email to Harrison’s father, Dean Bruenicke, and Dean’s friend Gary Boddington, who played field and ice hockey for South Africa. Milne praised Harrison’s achievements and for keeping South Africa’s traditions in the public eye.
“Hockey in the Western Cape is certainly much stronger than it was before, but the two rinks in Johannesburg and Pretoria are also doing well on that front,” Milne wrote in an email. “Dean, you and your family should be so proud! Please give Harrison my personal support – our little SA ice hockey community is rooting for you all the way! I look forward to celebrating with you, your family and Harrison in the coming weeks and letting us know how you can use this incredible achievement to deepen and capitalize on your connection to the game in SA. It’s a proud moment for us all.”
Sean Crowston, coach of Kamloops in the Western Hockey League, agreed.
“It’s an incredible story,” Crowston said. “There are regions that have traditionally produced a lot of hockey players. There are different regions in Canada and the United States, there are countries in Europe that produce a lot of hockey players, but to come from a place that is very non-traditional, South Africa, is pretty unique.”
The right-hander (6-foot-2, 196 pounds) is ranked 52nd in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings of North American skaters, up 15 spots from his interim ranking in January. After recording eight points (four goals, four assists) in 59 regular season games and two assists in 14 playoff games in 2022-23, he recorded 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 49 games with Kamloops this season.
“It’s certainly intriguing to see a player from South Africa eligible for the NHL draft,” Central scouting director Dan Marr said, “but Harrison’s hockey is developed in Western Canada, and he’s had a lengthy playoff run and Memorial Cup appearance in his first year in the WHL, which is beneficial for the development of young players.”
“His game has continued to mature this season as evidenced by his confidence and improvement with and without the puck. He is an excellent skater, moves the puck, reads the ice well and defends with force. He is a very capable two-way defenceman and NHL clubs will be looking to gauge how much more he can develop offensively in the future.”
