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Flint Firebirds forward Brennan Othmann recently sat down with Junior Hockey Magazine to share his experience in winning gold at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, in addition to how the tournament served as a reunion for some special former minor hockey teammates, and how he is preparing for the upcoming NHL Draft:Â
Junior Hockey Magazine: What does it feel like to be introduced as a gold-medal champion?
Brennan Othmann: It feels great. Being called a gold medalist is something that is unbelievable. All of us on the ice showed so much emotion. To bring home gold for the first time since 2013 was awesome. It is just an unbelievable feeling. I know the first few days when I was home it really sunk in. It is just really cool to be able to come home with a gold medal around my neck.
JHM: What has it been like to be able to share that medal?
BO: I have had all my buddies from school, former teammates, teammates in Flint where I play, and so many calls, FaceTimes, and texts asking me to send a picture. I have it right next to my bed on a desk. I have it all straightened up so I see it when I get up every morning. It is pretty cool to see that.
JHM: Take us through your goal in the gold-medal game.
BO: Before the game, our coach (Dave Barr) just wanted us to beat these defence wide. We knew they had some really skilled forwards and that their defence was a little weak in the back end and their goalie was a little bit smaller. Our game plan was to shoot high above the pads, around the shoulders and ears. We drove the puck wide around their defence. It was a good pass by (Ethan) Del Mastro to get it up to me. I wanted to take it myself and see what happened. I was lucky enough to pick that short-side corner. I have scored a few goals like that before so it was good to get that in a gold-medal game.
JHM: How special was it to share this experience with some former Don Mills Flyers minor hockey teammates?
BO: It was a really good experience. It was an unbelievable feeling for all three (Brandt Clarke and Shane Wright) of us. Winning and everything is all fun and games, and it is great when you share that moment with those two guys, and the rest of the team was something really special. Shane and ‘Clarkey’ will have long careers in the NHL and they will do great things. They are two of my best friends. I talk to them all the time, play video games with them, golf with them. It is just really good to win with those guys and to have one last go with them before the OHL starts next year and before Clarkey and I go into the Draft. It is just a good feeling that all of us had.
JHM: Have you had much contact with NHL clubs who want to speak with you?
BO: I have had a few Zoom calls since I have been home. The first two days I was home, I was already getting texts, calls, and emails from NHL scouts, which was pretty cool. You have worked your whole life for opportunities like that. To get those chances to talk with those teams and answer their questions, it has been a fun process and I am looking forward to these upcoming weeks. I am sure some more will come in, then the Draft is in nine weeks or so, and that is going to be a good experience too.
JHM: What is it like to recognize that you are now a coveted person at the next level of this game?
BO: It means a lot for sure. There are a lot of young hockey players who look up to you and you have to showcase yourself to be a good guy on and off the ice. I have worked my whole life to be a name up there, and to be one of those is something really cool. I really enjoy it.
JHM: You and your teammate from the under-18s, Mason McTavish, played and lived together in Switzerland this season. What was that experience like for you?
BO: It was a great experience. It was a good decision by both him and I. I was there a little bit earlier than him. I got over there because my dad and uncle played professional hockey over there in the league I played it, plus my grandmother is originally from there. Mason’s dad played over there for a few years too, and he was born there. To share that experience with Mason, it was good. He is a great hockey player and he adjusted pretty quick. He knows how to use his size on the ice. To be able to share two months with him there and then go win a gold medal with him, and essentially be with him for three months, was really good. We like each other. To share that gold medal with him and that experience in Switzerland was really good and something we will not forget.
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