Nadeau earns praise from Nieuwendyk ahead of 2023 NHL Draft

The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 are June 29 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at Bradly Nadeau with Penticton of the British Columbia Hockey League. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Bradly Nadeau not only impressed NHL scouts playing for Penticton in the British Columbia Hockey League this season, but he also caught the attention of Joe Nieuwendyk.

The Hall of Fame forward attended many Penticton games because his son, Jackson, played on the team, typically centering a line with the Nadeau brothers, Bradly on left wing and Josh on the right side.

Nieuwendyk, who played 1,257 games for five NHL teams and won three Stanley Cup championships with three franchises (Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils), appreciated the way Bradly was able to persevere despite his small frame (5-foot-10, 160 pounds).

"Bradly Nadeau is very talented; he's not a big kid but, you know, these kids like Jonathan Marchessault (Vegas Golden Knights) are skilled and they're smart," Nieuwendyk said. "Nowadays, you don't have to be 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds anymore. A lot of these young kids are skilled and understand the game, and that's the thing about Nadeau. He really understands the game."

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He certainly does.

"I was not that big and was just younger than everyone (in 2021-22)," Bradly said. "It was tough because I felt like everyone else was just stronger so that's something I kind of improved on a lot entering this season that helped me confidence-wise. Confidence was also a big thing for me."

The right-shot left wing, No. 17 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters presented by BioSteel, was not only confident but dominant. He led the BCHL with 113 points (45 goals, 68 assists) in 54 regular-season games, playing his off-wing.

"It takes an interesting decision to play the off-wing because you put yourself at a disadvantage in your own zone, trying to get that path coming out of your own zone if you turn the wrong way," NHL Central Scouting director David Gregory said. "You have to be smart, you have to have quick hands, which is all the things Bradly does have. But when he gets into the attacking zone, all of a sudden, that disadvantage for him becomes an advantage because he sees all the ice in front of him."

Bradly won the BCHL most valuable player award during the regular season and in the playoffs, tying Josh for the league-lead in the postseason with 35 points in 17 games. Bradly had 17 goals and 18 assists and Josh had 16 goals and 19 assists as the Vees won their second straight BCHL championship with a four-game sweep against Alberni Valley in May.

"Bradly's got more speed, and he'll be able to take it to the outside and has a wicked shot," Penticton coach Fred Harbinson said. "Josh has great vision and really good passing ability; he's very slippery. Both guys can score but I think Bradly is probably a little more powerful and, as he gets older and adds a little more strength, he's got a rocket of a shot, so he'll be able to beat you with his speed and his shot."

Bradly and Josh had the perfect setup growing up in St-Francois de Madawaska, New Brunswick.

It was on the family farm where John Nadeau, their father, converted a barn into a covered outdoor rink that included a Zamboni when a fresh surface was needed.

"That's something my dad built for me and my brother because he knew the more time we spent on the ice, that's how you get better," Bradly said. "He built that four or five years ago, and it was really fun when we were home."

John Nadeau played forward for many years in a senior men's league for Haut-Madawaska of the New Brunswick Regional Hockey League, before retiring last year.

Bradly gained valuable experience playing hockey in the barn with brother, who is 19 months older.

"We had a lot of 1-on-1's but, unfortunately for me, I don't think I won a single time against him," Bradly said. "He always got the best of me."

Josh (5-7, 155) finished second behind Bradly on Penticton with 110 points (44 goals, 66 assists) in 54 games.

The Nadeau brothers each represented Penticton at the 60th BCHL All-Star Weekend in Penticton, British Columbia in January. They also participated in an outdoor skills competition on day earlier. Bradly won the hardest shot competition (92 miles-per hour) and Josh won accuracy shooting (11.98 seconds).

"I was actually tied with forward John Herrington (Prince George); we both had 92-mph, so we needed to take an extra shot," Bradly said. "I hit 92 again and John got 88. Honestly, I was surprised when I did it."

Bradly will next join his brother as a freshman at the University of Maine in 2023-24.

"[Maine] is close to home ... it's only like three hours away," Bradly said. "And another thing was my brother was already committed there before me, so that kind of swayed me to wanting to go there even more."

Bradly will take an improved and varied skill set with him to Maine.

"If he's beating you off the rush one game and, all of a sudden that sort of closes up, he's finding he can play below the circles and hurt you that way," Harbison said. "He's found a way to kind of be versatile in his game and have a backup on certain nights when maybe we're on the road and teams are checking harder.

"He doesn't have just one or two things he relies on and that's why you've seen a big jump in his game from even the second half last year in the playoffs when I feel he took another step. It's carried over into the season."