Hemming’s play style is seen as a strong, smart style that puts him in the best spot to succeed in the offensive zone. And it seems to run in the Hemming DNA. He’s not the lone figure in his family to hear his name called at the NHL Draft, as his brother, Emil, was chosen in the first round of the 2024 draft and is the one who helped inspire Oscar's love for the game.
“My brother went to hockey school when he was 4, and I just tagged along and kind of ever since loved the sport,” Hemming said. “My dad played it, too. But he helped us a lot. He could give us small tips, stuff like that, and kind of just went off from that.”
Now, Hemming’s joining his brother, actively writing his own draft story. But aside from this presumably life-changing memory, Hemming took part in some exciting moments leading up to this point, including a 2026 Beanpot championship over Boston University. The Eagles may have missed out on the NCAA postseason, but his ability to play tournament-style hockey at such a young age with older guys gave him a taste of the speed and aggressiveness required of a winning group.
“I enjoyed playing college hockey. I think as an experience, I really liked it,” Hemming said. “And then for next season, I think (I’m) just going to be a bigger player, create more chances myself, and I'll be on the puck more.”
The Blue Jackets are familiar with choosing at the 14th spot. Last year, defenseman Jackson Smith was selected at the same seed, going on to play NCAA hockey with Penn State. Although they occupy different ends of the ice, the two now share a similar path as competitors and now teammates.
Hemming’s growing awareness of Columbus became apparent around the NHL Scouting Combine. After a few discussions with the organization during the event and another afterward, Hemming saw the writing on the wall. Now he makes the journey to the Buckeye State for the first time ever, as he’s expected to head to the team’s development camp next week.
“Just meeting everybody and getting on the ice with the guys, and just see the city,” Hemming said on what he’s most looking forward to with the Blue Jackets organization. “Never been there, so I'm excited for that.”
“(I) kind of could sense (getting picked). Just wishing my name is gonna get called, and then I got the call, and just hearing everybody cheer for me from your family feels awesome,” Hemming added. “And then I saw some Finnish friends, and that was awesome. I just feels so good to get to hear your name called.”
The NHL Draft is typically a night where dreams become a reality for the best hockey players in the world, and Hemming is no different. Getting the call from Columbus commences the beginning of a wild ride full of hockey highs and lows. The first stop on his long list is a week spent at Nationwide Arena where he’ll possibly earn his first piece of NHL hardware: the Stinger Cup.
