Reid Joins Longtime Friend as First Taste of NHL Life Comes During Preds Development Camp

Keeping up with the notifications on his phone in the moments after hearing the Nashville Predators call his name with the 21st overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft was nearly impossible for Cameron Reid.

But in the midst of all the commotion in Los Angeles last month after becoming the newest member of the Preds organization, the 18-year-old defenseman made sure to find time to reach out to the-then second-newest member of the club.

Just 16 picks earlier, Reid’s childhood friend, Brady Martin, became Nashville’s top selection at No. 5 overall. Reid wasn’t able to celebrate in person with Martin, who was back home in Elmira, Ont., on the family farm, but Reid knew he’d be reunited with one of his best friends before long considering the way in which their lives had both been changed.

Reid and Martin, who have known each other since they were in elementary school playing springtime hockey with one another, couldn’t help but marvel at the fortune of being drafted by the same NHL club - and Nashville’s defensive prospect shed some light on why the Preds were likely so high on their top pick.

“He's a dog out there,” Reid said of Martin shortly after arriving at Preds Development Camp two weeks ago. "He always wants to win. He's always going to compete. If there's a loose puck, he usually gets it, and he'll make sure he [eventually] does. So, that's what I like about him. He's always keeping the pace up, competitive, and he just wants to win. He'll do whatever it takes to win.

“Tthen, as a person, he's a great guy, funny guy, keeps it light, but he just talks to everyone and keeps it light… He’s just a guy you want to be around, and he’s good in the locker room. There’s nothing wrong with him - perfect guy overall.”

But Reid is pretty darn impressive, too.

The Preds traded up two spots in the first round to take him at No. 21, partially thanks to a career-high 54 points - including 14 goals - with Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League last season. An alternate captain with his club, Reid led the Rangers in assists and was third in points while ranking among the top blueliners in the entire OHL. Reid, who has also skated with Martin in an international setting with Hockey Canada, won Gold with his country at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Growing up, most young players dream of putting the puck in the opposition’s net, but Reid says his mindset was to do the opposite. A defenseman for as long as he can remember, Reid may not be the biggest player at 6-feet tall, but he’s working on that aspect of his game, among other elements as well.

“I'm just getting bigger physically,” Reid said. “That’s the main thing. I’m not the tallest guy, so I think playing against bigger bodies, that's going to be the challenge for me to make it to the NHL. It's no secret there, but that's what I’ve got to do. But I like to use my feet, my hockey sense, all those skills. I think if I can add some size to me, that's going to help me a whole lot more and just make my game so much better.”

He’s already off to a good start, and at his first NHL Development Camp, Reid was intent on making the most of the opportunity for a quality first impression with the Preds.

“It’s nerve racking, for sure,” Reid said. “It’s something new. You’re always on the go trying to see what it's all about. It's a lot to think about, but at the end of the day, I just think it's something you dream of. You'd rather be in the situation than not. Hockey's fun. It's what they preach here, the Predators. I always think of just having fun with it, see what it's all about.”

Things are even more enjoyable with a friend around, and if Reid and Martin have it their way, Preds Development Camps won’t be the only time they’re in Nashville together in the years to come.

“That's as we say all the time [is look how far we’ve come],” Reid said of his conversations with Martin. “I mean, whenever we're together, it's like, ‘Geez, look at where we are now.' I mean, it's only the beginning, but we've come so far as it is, so it’s pretty cool.”