When Sheryl Martin first put skates on Brady Martin when he was 3 years old, an NHL career was the furthest thing from her mind.
“This is not ever what we anticipated,” she told The Tennessean on Oct. 7. “We just weren’t a hockey family. We’re a farming family.”
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Now, as Brady Martin prepares to make his NHL debut for the Predators on Oct. 9 against the Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network), Martin’s mom and nearly 30 other folks will make the journey to Bridgestone Arena, not only to see their favorite native of Elmira, Ontario, make his pro debut, but to witness Nashville history.
Martin, the Predators‘ top pick at No. 5 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, will be the youngest in 25 years to play for Nashville, clocking in at 18 years and 207 days old, just missing Scott Hartnell’s 18 years and 171 days in 2000.
Unlike Hartnell, who was a middle-six winger in his first season, Martin, 6-foot, 185 pounds, will be in a prominent role on Day 1: He’s slated to be the No. 1 center on opening night, playing with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly.
That’s a load of pressure for an 18-year-old, but apparently not for Martin.
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“He doesn’t put any pressure on himself,” Sheryl Martin said. “He’s open to whatever and always just trying his best. Some of that is a reflection of who we are as a family. That’s just how we do life.”
Farm discipline, stone picking, and sibling battles led Brady Martin to Nashville
The Martin family has no shortage of helpers on their modest acreage in Elmira. Since he was old enough to pick up rocks, Brady has been helping his father Terry, older brother Joey (19), younger brother Jordan (16), and younger sister Rylee (14) with farm chores.
And that hasn’t changed since his hockey career skyrocketed in the past year. Somewhat famously, Martin was not present at the NHL draft in Los Angeles because he was working on his family’s farm.
A young Brady Martin feeds cows on the Martin family farm while wearing roller blades
“His brothers are pretty adamant that just because you’re a hockey player doesn’t mean you get a pass on chores,” Sheryl said.
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Feeding and milking cows, maintaining a barn of animals and supplies, upkeep of farm equipment, and anything else that required strong hands and a sturdy back — Brady did all of it. His least favorite is stone picking, a time-consuming task that requires patrolling a field and removing stones so they don’t damage farm equipment. But he did what he was asked.
From an early age, Brady learned the discipline that comes with farm life and eventually applied it to hockey. He even wore roller blades around the barn to move quickly from one chore to another.
Brady Martin (right) on a grueling stone picking chore with brothers Jordan (left) and Joey (middle) on the Martin family farm in Elmira, Ontario
“We’re a hardworking family and that’s played a part in his hockey,” Sheryl Martin said. “He always bought into the discipline piece of it.”
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After dominating AAA youth hockey for nearby Waterloo, he was drafted No. 3 overall by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the 2023 OHL Draft. He was an immediate difference-maker and named team captain in his second season.
Brady Martin playing for the Waterloo Wolves U16 team (2022) in Waterloo, Ontario
His sharp rise in hockey peaked at the 2025 draft when the Predators took him at No. 5. The selection was a surprise to some, but not to the diehards in Sault Ste. Marie who’ve watched him the past two years.
What can Predators fans expect with Brady Martin? ‘He’ll drag you to war’
“Three shifts. I give it three shifts before Nashville loves Brady Martin.”
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That bold prediction is from Dustin Grondin, a hockey coach in Sault Ste. Marie who billets Martin’s close friend and Greyhounds teammate Travis Hayes. In the past two years, he has seen Martin develop into a legend in “The Soo,” a town of 75,000 people, thanks to his undeniable physical play on the ice.
Nashville Predators center Brady Martin (44) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025.
“He’s tough, he’ll score, he’s committed to 200 feet, and he’ll drag you to war,” Grondin said “He’s a locker room gem, everyone will love him.”
Scouts heralded Martin’s physical abilities heading into the draft, saying he would be one of the biggest hitters in the NHL. Others doubted his ability to craft offensive plays with consistency, labeling him a second-line center at best and an underwhelming choice in the top five.
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But the NHL draft is an inexact science. While offensive talent like Michael Misa (No. 2 overall, San Jose), Porter Martone (No. 6 overall, Philadelphia) and James Hagens (No. 7 overall, Boston) might get the headlines, Martin is the only one getting top-line minutes on opening night.
“(People in Nashville) won’t be too upset very long for them picking Brady Martin,” Grondin said. “If not for making some snazzy offensive plays, it’s because he’s going to run somebody over. He’s going to go to war.”
Predators general manager Barry Trotz said in June he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Martin made the team in training camp. Now he must decide if he should keep Martin for the full season or send him back to the OHL.
9 GAME TRIAL: Why Nashville Predators’ top rookie Brady Martin might be here just 9 games this season
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In an interview with 102.5 The Game on Oct. 7, Trotz admitted they were still unsure on that decision.
“We’re going to play this one game at a time, but right now Brady has given no indication that his game cannot translate to the NHL,” Trotz said.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Predators rookie Brady Martin is a force ‘everyone will love’