Photo Credits: Charles Warburton
The Brampton Steelheads have had a great start to the 2024-25 season, sitting at 4-1-0. Their star-powered offence is led by captain Porter Martone and Carson Rehkopf, the Steelheads’ new dynamic duo, who have put the league on notice.
Brampton has a stacked lineup from lines one to four. Another contribution to their early success has been their depth, with players like Mason Zebeski, Adam Zidlicky, Jack Van Volsen, and Luke Misa stepping up. One player who has been a crucial part of this team, not just this season but last year, is forward Lucas Karmiris.
The Steelheads drafted Karmiris in the first round, 13th overall, in 2022, and he has been a fantastic addition to the lineup. In his rookie season in 2022-23, he tallied 18 points in 62 games, scoring six goals and adding 12 assists. His game took a big step forward in his second season, 2023-24. In 62 games, he scored 14 goals and had 29 assists for 43 points. While the Steelheads’ offence went cold in the playoffs, Karmiris continued his regular season success, recording five points in five playoff games with three goals and one assist.
The Brantford, Ontario native hasn’t lost a step from last season. In five games this season, he has already posted three goals and two assists for five points. Karmiris plays an aggressive style, reminding me of Zach Hyman, who always makes his presence known and makes life difficult for opposing goalies. Though not known for goal scoring, he can contribute with timely goals when needed, making him the kind of player any team would love to have.
One of the advantages of having Karmiris on the Steelheads is his versatility. He can be moved up and down the lineup and contributes to both the power play and penalty kill, making him a reliable asset to the team.
With his strong work ethic, Karmiris brings energy to the lineup. His depth will be one of the reasons the Steelheads can continue finding success this season.
