Brampton Steelheads bring in sleeper NHL draft prospect and Harvard commit at perfect time

The Brampton Steelheads had three of their best players participate in the Canadian Junior World Championship selection camp, two of whom led their team in scoring.

After a few exhibition games against the U Sports All-Stars, Canada finalized its roster for the tournament and all three Steelheads players were named to the roster. Great for them, but not ideal for Brampton, which has five teams battling for fifth through ninth spots in the Eastern Conference.

These three players are captain Porter Martone, Carson Rehkopf and goalkeeper Jack Ivankovic. Martone and Rehkopf are first and second ahead of Brampton in points this season, and losing the two boys, who combined for 41 goals and 101 points, is a tough blow.

Help is on the way in the form of an intriguing prospect who is eligible for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft: Aidan Lane.

Lane, 17, was a top candidate for the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. He fell in the fourth round, where the Steelheads selected him at No. 80 overall. The reason he slipped up in the draft was because he committed to Harvard University and pursued the NCAA development route instead of the OHL.

Related: Matthew Schaefer, Porter Martone and Michael Misa headline the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game

After the NCAA rule change went into effect, Brampton was able to sign Aidan to an OHL scholarship and development agreement.

Lane played his first OHL game on December 11th when Brampton hosted the Brantford Bulldogs in what turned out to be an exciting affair.

The Steelheads were missing 11 starters, forcing them to play with, to say the least, an undermanned lineup against Brantford.

Trailing 5-4 as the seconds ticked away, Lane was ejected while the extra attacker was on the ice looking for the game-winning goal. He positioned himself in front of the net where he redirected a point shot from Spencer Sova for his first career OHL goal and a game-tying goal with 17 seconds left in the period, sending the game into overtime.

Brampton would lose the game 6-5 in the extra frame, but they secured a very important point in the standings while playing with one of the most inexperienced lineups the OHL will likely ever see.

Lane hasn’t qualified for another game with the Steelheads since that game last Wednesday, but that’s because he’s the captain of St. Andrew’s College and they have a very important series of straight back-to-back games against Shattuck St. Mary’s School had in the Prep Hockey Conference.

St. Andrew’s won Saturday’s first game 5-3, with captain Lane scoring two goals and scoring three points. They lost the second game on Sunday 1:4.

Related: Brampton Steelheads acquire towering Vancouver Canucks prospect from Guelph Storm

OHL connections

Lane played for the prestigious Toronto Marlboros organization in his OHL draft year (he spent seven years with the Marlboros as a kid), where he won the GTHL U16 Championship.

This Marlboros team featured Guelph Storm’s newly signed forward Lev Katzin, Flint Firebirds first-rounder Jeremy Martin, Kitchener Rangers Matheas Stark, Owen Sound Attack defenseman Gabriel Smith, top 2025 NHL Entry Draft prospect William Moore, Ottawa 67s goaltender Jaeden Nelson and his new Steelheads teammates Kieran Witkowski and Luke Dragusica.

His team fell in the 2023 OHL Cup quarterfinals, but Lane impressed all scouts in attendance with his scoring ability and astute offensive hockey sense.

He tied with the Soo Greyhounds’ fourth overall pick in 2023, Brady Martin, who scored the most goals in the tournament, scoring 8 goals. He also finished second with 13 points, trailing top NHL draft prospect and 2023-24 OHL Rookie of the Year Jake O’Brien, who had 17 points.

Aidan Lane Scouting Report

Aidan is a skilled right winger who is soft in his hands with the puck and has a great first touch. He is adept at controlling the puck in tight spaces and moving it out of fights. Away from the puck in the offensive zone, he considers where to position himself, either along the boards to extend the cycle or by floating around in the high slot area for a quick shot attempt.

Related: Oshawa Generals sign intriguing NHL draft defense prospect; A player that scouts rave about

Lane received a “W” grade from NHL Central Scouting on its preliminary roster for the upcoming NHL Draft. The Mississauga, Ontario native said he liked modeling his game after Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak.

It’s unclear whether the committed Harvard forward will play full-time for the Steelheads in the future or will be an “AP” player for them, where he won’t be able to play more than 10 games.

Bookmark the Hockey News OHL website so you don’t miss any news, interviews and updates around the league.