For Tanner Lam, this past year has been one filled with highs.
From hearing his name called in the second round by the Kitchener Rangers, to learning he made the team out of training camp, to being an offensive difference maker, it’s been a successful first-year in the OHL for the Brampton, Ont. native.
“I think they [coaches and teammates] made me comfortable at the start of the year,” Lam said. “My confidence was through the roof at the start of the year just cause of how the coaches and players trust me.”
On a team filled with offensive talent, Lam managed to stake a claim in the Rangers’ top six quickly and stuck. In 61 regular season games in 2023-24, Lam scored 13 goals and added 18 assists for 31 points – good for 10th in points by a rookie.
For those who haven’t followed his career, one may be wondering where Lam’s journey started towards establishing himself as a core piece for the Rangers. How does such a young players establish himself so quickly?
To answer that question though, one doesn’t have to look far.
A high-flying player for the Halton Hurricanes U16 AAA team, Lam impressed scouts in his OHL draft-eligible season, putting up 132 points across 69 games in Ontario’s U16 AAA circuit.
“Minor midget was a good year. We had a really good team, really good group of guys,” Lam said. “It was honestly an amazing year with scoring and all that, making it deep in our playoffs. Obviously didn’t have the best run in the OHL Cup but I think the highlight of the year was me putting up a lot of points and getting drafted pretty high.”
A further aid to his game, Lam got to play besides fellow OHL rookies in Matthew Schaefer and Tyler Hopkins during his time in Halton.
“You know, guys at your calibre, them getting drafted so high, playing with those guys was great,” he said.
Piggybacking off that success, Lam had high expectations for himself heading into the 2023 OHL Priority Selection.
“I was hoping to go a little bit earlier in the draft but sometimes stuff doesn’t work out,” Lam said. “I got a call from my agent that if nobody else is going to pick me in the second round, Kitchener was there and they were going to pick me. It was an honour getting picked by Kitchener.”
While getting drafted is a big accomplishment in any young hockey player’s life, the moment is just the beginning.
As he started to prepare for his first season as an OHL player, Lam’s offseason goals shifted.
“Ya, probably just [focused on] getting bigger and stronger,” Lam said. “You’re obviously playing against guys that are way older than you – 20, 19, and 18 – so just trying to keep up with their pace.”
Although last summer provided an opportunity for Lam to alter the way he trained, as he went into his first training camp with the Rangers, he was intent on playing the game that got him to where he was.
“I just tried to do what I’m best at doing,” he said. “Everything worked out perfectly fine and it was a good experience for my first year at camp.”
Lam’s performance throughout camp earned him a spot in the Rangers opening night lineup. Playing in the top six, Lam meshed quickly with his teammates which allowed him to find the confidence to produce.
“I just got taught a lot by the older guys about your rookie season, how you just have to play with confidence and play your role,” he explained.
Lam and the Rangers ultimately fell short of their goal, bowing out in the second round of the OHL Playoffs to the London Knights, but the season allowed Lam to adjust to the rigours of the OHL.
“I think it’s [his game] grown tremendously. Since you’re playing against older guys in the OHL, you learn a lot the first year,” he remarked. “Going into my second year, I think I’m going to put myself to another level.”
With the confidence in his own game, Lam is also determined to help the Rangers compete next year.
“We have a really young group next year and I’m hoping we can go pretty far.”