NHL Draft notebook: Nemec flourishing with more minutes since joining OHL

The 2026 NHL Draft will be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26-27. NHL.com will take a closer look at some of the draft-eligible players to watch. This week, a profile on left wing Adam Nemec of Sudbury in the Ontario Hockey League.

Adam Nemec had no choice but to listen attentively to his older brother whenever the two played on an outdoor rink in their native Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia.

"I was the little brother, so I had to go to the net, and he always took shots on me," Adam said of the games with New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec. "It was like this all the time, but I do remember my dad yelling at Simon and not me because I was, like, his favorite child."

Whatever the case may be, the competition between brothers certainly brought out the best in each of them. Adam (6-foot-1, 176 pounds), a left-handed shot who can play either wing, picked up the game when he was 5 years old. He exhibits a high motor and likes to push the pace.

"Simon is a really smart player and he's good under pressure," Adam said of his brother, who is 32 months older. "I think these are traits I get from him."

Adam, born Oct. 18, 2007, plays a different position than Simon because he always loved to score goals.

"Adam has a strong stride, allowing him to generate speed on the rush and be the first forward back defensively," NHL Director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He plays at an extremely high pace, often sprinting through shifts and applying constant pressure on backchecks and forechecks. Sometimes this can be counted as a weakness, as he rushes decisions without a plan, but his offensive flashes pop with puck protection along the boards and small-area skill where he has learned to play with maturity."

The younger Nemec, No. 29 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of International skaters, played three seasons for HK Nitra in Slovakia's top professional men's league before joining Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey League at the conclusion of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship on Jan. 5.

"I wanted to gain more minutes so that's why I decided to play in the OHL," he said. "Maybe the minutes weren't what I had hoped for in the Slovak league."

More ice time apparently is just what Nemec needed. He had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in eight games for Sudbury entering Thursday and is projected to finish with 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in 31 OHL games.

He had 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 28 games for Nitra.

"I love it in Sudbury," Adam said. "I'm playing over 20 minutes a game."

Simon Nemec is enjoying a productive third season for the Devils with 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) while averaging 19:46 of ice time in 39 games entering Thursday. He's proud of how Adam is establishing himself leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft.

"He's a great ice hockey player," Simon said. "He improved his skating a lot entering this season. I know it's a big year for him and I think he's doing pretty good right now."

Adam gained plenty of confidence after a real productive effort for Slovakia at the 2026 WJC.

"He's really smart and a real hard worker on the forecheck," Slovakia coach Peter Fruhauf said. "If you watch him on the forecheck, he wins most of them and he battles back if he doesn't. You can almost bet he's going to be there, backchecking hard if he loses the puck. And, of course, he can find good spots for scoring positions. I think he almost has a sixth sense for that."

Adam had five points (one goal, five assists) and averaged 16:20 of ice time at the World Juniors on a third-line role with center Tomas Chrenko (2026 draft eligible), No. 16 on Central Scouting's midterm list of International skaters.

"Simon called me every two days when I was at World Juniors, telling me to enjoy the tournament and play the game that I have been playing the whole season," Adam said. "When I'm at my best, I'm really good on the forecheck and at the net front. I like watching Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson because he's a natural goal-scorer."

Adam is looking forward to the 2026 draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26-27. He remembers like yesterday hearing his brother's name announced as the No. 2 pick by New Jersey in the 2022 NHL Draft at Bell Centre in Montreal.

"It was amazing," Adam said. "I don't think anybody thought he was going second overall, but it was beautiful."

Simon's advice to his brother:

"I mean, just play hockey, and don't care about other stuff going on around you," he said. "Just focus on hockey and have fun. I think that's the best advice I could give him."

TOP PROSPECTS TO WATCH AT BEANPOT

The Beanpot, the annual college hockey tournament in Boston, opens with semifinal games Monday. Boston College will play Harvard University at 5 p.m. ET, followed by Boston University against Northeastern University at 8 p.m. ET. The winners will play for the championship Feb. 9. All games will be at TD Garden.

Oscar Hemming, LW, Boston College (H-EAST): Hemming made his NCAA debut Dec. 28, three days after he enrolled at Boston College. He had 63 points (35 goals, 28 assists) in 31 games with Kiekko-Espoo in Finland's under-18 league and 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 18 games in the under-20 division before making the journey to North America. The 17-year-old, No. 11 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm list of North American skaters, was chosen No. 56 by the Kitchener in the 2025 CHL import draft but was blocked from playing in the OHL by his Finnish club, which disputed his transfer. NCAA teams are exempt from IIHF transfer agreements. He has three assists and 11 shots on goal in six games with the Eagles, most recently working on a line with left wing James Hagens (Boston Bruins) and center Andre Gasseau (Bruins), the team's captain.

Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University (H-EAST): Lawrence, considered by many to be the top center of the 2026 draft, made his NCAA debut Jan. 9 after he had 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in 13 games for Muskegon in the United States Hockey League. The 17-year-old (6-0, 185), No. 7 on Central Scouting's midterm list of North American skaters, has one goal and 11 shots on goal in seven games for the Terriers. Lawrence most recently was the center on a line with left wing Conrad Fondrk (Devils) and right wing Jack Harvey (Tampa Bay Lightning).

"He's going to have an opportunity to play with some really good players at BU," NHL Central Scouting associate director David Gregory said. "He's a player that can play at pace, and when you're playing with good players, the way he thinks it and moves the puck, I think is going to be advantageous for him.

"Not to say that wasn't happening in Muskegon, but it's obviously up a level with older players. I think it gives him an opportunity to show his best and that he can play at higher levels. He's going to be a high first-round pick, so I think this is an opportunity for him, especially if there's success there, to push the envelope and say, 'Hey, you better not pass me up.'"