Nashville Predators' Cameron Reid living dream in camp with childhood friend, draft pick Brady Martin
When the Nashville Predators drafted Cameron Reid, it was all he could have ever wanted.
"It's something you dream of as a kid, to be in the first round as a top pick," said Reid, the 21st pick in the 2025 draft. "I take pride in that, and I will every single day for the rest of my life. It's an honor to get drafted that high. There's expectations for that, so it's motivating."
He also was caught off guard by the moment. The Predators had made a trade with the Ottawa Senators to move up from No. 23 to No. 21, and they grabbed the 18-year-old defenseman.
After a few minutes passed, Reid had a realization.
"I was too dialed in on the draft to realize I got picked, I was just so shocked," he said during Predators development camp at Centennial Sportsplex. "Then a couple of minutes later, I was like, 'Oh, Brady got drafted here, too.' I was pretty pumped about that for sure."
That would be Brady Martin, an 18-year-old center who the Predators took with the No. 5 overall pick. It turns out that a connection Reid had from home was coming with him to Nashville.
They both played in the Ontario Hockey League, Reid with the Kitchener Rangers and Martin with the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds. But it goes beyond that; they had grown up about an hour apart in Ontario, playing together in spring hockey when they were kids, then as opponents as well as teammates as they advanced.
Now they will have the chance to go through their new journeys together as pros.
"I've known Brady ever since we were little so it's pretty cool to experience all of this with him," Reid said. "Experiencing this whole camp with him and seeing what the future can hold is pretty special."
Though he has been on the ice in a Predators jersey for a few days now, it still hasn't fully sunk in, but his dream is becoming a reality. Thirty-five players, including the team's third pick in the first round, forward Ryker Lee (taken 26th), are at camp giving their all in a fight for a roster spot, and the level of competition that comes with it is something Reid craves.
"They keep it competitive out there," he said. "I love that kind of face. It just makes me better. I'm trying to soak it all in. I'm trying to develop, it's in the word 'development camp.' At the end of the day, you have to try your best with the opportunity that you're given. That's all you can do."
No matter what the future holds, Reid can say proudly that he has achieved one of his major goals. The young defenseman is living in the moment and not letting a second pass him by.
"This has pretty much been unreal," he said. "I'm not stopping to think about it, it's kind of just happening. It's a dream just to be here in this environment with this organization. It's an NHL team. This is every kid's dream."
Alaina Morris is the summer sports intern for The Tennessean. Contact her at amorris@gannett.com or on X @alainammorris.