Like Happy Gilmore, Harrison Brunicke has seen large reptiles on the golf course in South Africa. But unlike Happy, he’s never challenged one, and certainly doesn’t plan to.
“There’s crocodiles and that type of stuff. Hopefully your ball doesn’t end up near them,” Brunicke said. “If it does, you’re supposed to, like, smack them. But I don’t know, I’d probably run away or something [laughs].”
Brunicke became the first skater born in South Africa to be selected in the NHL Draft after the Penguins took him in the second round in 2024, and his roots are the foundation of a unique hockey story.
“I think everyone knows where I'm born. I think that's probably my only fun fact, I'm going to be honest,” said Brunicke, who moved to Calgary with his family at age 2 and grew up in Canada. It’s something that even caught the attention of his Hockey Canada teammates.
“I don't know who found out. But someone, I think it was Ryan O'Reilly, asked me about where I was born and stuff like that. So, that kind of started a good conversation,” said Brunicke, who offered up more tidbits about his background and interests in a recent interview from back home in Calgary.
There, a store called Safari Outpost sells South African products, where the Brunicke family will purchase sausages.
“That’s the biggest thing South African people make,” Harrison said. “Then they also make beef jerky. My dad makes it. He has this ventilation system that dries out meat, and then you hang it and season it. So yeah, that’s pretty good. I always look forward to that.”
However, when considering his ideal meal, he would draw inspiration from a few other cuisines.
“Probably something Italian, like a good pasta,” Brunicke said. “We went to Nobu when we were in Hungary [for the Hockey Canada pre-tournament camp for the World Championship], I had the crispy rice and tuna. It was so good. So, would probably put that in there. And then there's a good Mexican spot near where I work out. They make burritos, they have Mexican pork. I'd probably throw that in there, too. Then I'd probably go to Crumbl and get a cookie for dessert.”
When we spoke with Harrison, he had plans that week to recreate a salmon recipe from Owen Pickering. The two defensemen have become good friends since Brunicke joined the organization two years after Pickering was drafted in the first round, and spent some time together with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the end of the year.
“I was hanging out with Owen, and he made this good salmon. I watched what he did, and then I made it for my buddies. Keep the tradition going,” Brunicke said. “It’s not that hard to make. You just put salmon in the oven for like 20 minutes. That’s it. So, I don’t think he actually had to do that much.”
The side dish, however, was a different story.
“I can’t cook rice, so I had to search it up on YouTube,” Harrison said. “Owen can’t make it either. You’re supposed to wash it, right? He didn’t wash it. It was like, mush. So, it wasn’t the best rice.”
Brunicke had to smile thinking about how pumped Pickering was after Harrison scored his first professional goal. It was part of a terrific 2024.25 campaign for Brunicke. When it comes to his pregame routine, “honestly, I wouldn't say I have to do something. I like to keep it the same. But if something gets messed up, I don't care,” he said.
