Next step for prospect Brennan Othmann is to make the Rangers out of camp
Brennan Othmann #78 of the New York Rangers skates against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Sep.29, 2022 in New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH – Brennan Othmann had the role of the old guy at the Rangers’ Prospect Development Camp this week. The Blueshirts’ first-round pick (16th overall) in the 2021 NHL draft was one of the few players at the four-day camp at the Rangers’ practice facility who had been here before, and could show the younger guys where to go, and who to talk to when they needed something.
“Guys were joking around throughout the last four days here, just because I'm a ‘vet’ here,’’ Othmann, 20, said Wednesday, after the camp wrapped up with an intrasquad scrimmage. “It's good, with these young guys coming in here, and I can see the new draft picks and some free agents coming in, too … it's been a really good week.’’
A year ago, despite coming off a 50-goal, 97-point season (in 66 games) with Flint of the OHL, plus having won a gold medal with Canada at the World Junior Championships, Othmann knew that because of the agreement between the NHL and the Canadian Hockey League, he was headed back to junior hockey if he didn’t make the Rangers out of training camp.
He didn’t, and so he went back to Flint with nothing to prove. Flint traded him to the Peterborough Petes during the season, and there he won an OHL championship and played in the Memorial Cup. His numbers (a combined 29 goals and 67 points in 56 games for Flint and Peterborough), were not nearly as impressive as the year before, but Othmann said he didn’t care about that.
“I didn't really worry about my stats,’’ he said. “I think I proved that [I could score] last year … this year, I was more worried about trying to win. I mean, that's the most important thing.’’
“He had a great year,’’ Rangers director of player development Jed Ortmeyer said of Othmann. “The adversity of changing teams, and going through the process, I think it's going to make him a better pro going forward.’’
Othmann is finished with junior hockey, so when he comes to training camp in the fall he knows he’ll be a professional hockey player this season, either with the Rangers or with their Hartford Wolf Pack farm team. He’ll do everything he can to make the Rangers.
“My motivation for the summertime is trying to make the Rangers,’’ he said. “It's a very good team, and I don't know what's going to happen. It's not up to me, it's up to the management here and the coaching staff here. But as long as I can put forth enough in the summertime, do what they say, and get bigger and stronger, we'll see what happens.’’
Henricks, Panwar impress in scrimmage
The Blue squad, behind two goals from sixth-round pick Ty Henricks, beat the White team, 6-4, in the scrimmage.
“My teammates set me up, I just took the opportunity and scored,’’ said Henricks, 18, a 6-4, 205-pound forward from Mission Viejo, Calif. He played for Muskegon of the USHL this season and said he will return to Muskegon next season.
Undrafted free agent Sahil Panwar (6-1, 185) scored twice for the White squad. Panwar, 21, had 21 goals and 52 points in 34 games this past season for Hamilton (OHL), which acquired him midway through the season.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
