Nick Lardis claims he couldn’t remember how many hat tricks he had during his monster 71-goal season for the Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs.
Seven?
“I think seven and maybe two in the playoffs,” the Chicago Blackhawks forward prospect correctly recalled to reporters at Fifth Third Arena on the final day of development camp for 2024 and ’25 draft picks. “So that was good.”
Just good?
“It was unreal,” Bulldogs teammate Parker Holmes said of Lardis’ 71 goals and 46 assists in 65 regular-season games — plus 11 goals and four assists in seven playoff games. “It seemed like everything he touched went in the net every game.”
Marek Vanacker, another Bulldogs teammate, called Lardis’ season “phenomenal.”
“I’m super proud of him,” Vanacker said. “He did awesome. I don’t doubt that he’s going to continue doing that.”
Lardis seemed more geeked about reaching new heights in other ways: “I measured at 6 feet, something like that, so I finally got there, I guess.”
Lardis, Holmes and Vanacker all happen to be Hawks forward prospects as well, and they got to share time together during the camp in Chicago.
Holmes was drafted in the fourth round last week, Vanacker in the first round last year and Lardis in the third round in 2023.
Holmes and Vanacker will return to Brantford this fall, but Lardis and the Hawks confirmed he’s turning pro.
“Which pro team (the Hawks or the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs) is going to be up to him in September,” assistant general manager of player development Mark Eaton said.
Lardis said he plans to “just stay motivated and try to make the team, and whatever happens, happens.”
What happened in April was the most ill-timed setback to Lardis’ aspirations. He suffered a playoff-ending leg injury April 13 — after recording a hat trick against the Oshawa Generals.
“Obviously it sucks what happened in the moment, during the year, kind of at a peak time with your team in the playoffs,” he said, “but everything’s healed up really well.”
Lardis hasn’t tested it in battle drills — prospects stayed off the ice during development camp — “but I feel 100%,” he said.
Over the rest of the summer and heading into training camp in September, he’ll continue with drills, including “working on my wall work, whether it’s in the D-zone, offensive zone,” as well as building up his “strength going into pro hockey.”
Through it all, the tight-knit Brantford bunch continue to support each other.
Vanacker said Lardis is “a special guy and teammates love him. He’s super funny and awesome to be around.”
Lardis was a valuable resource for the Hawks when they were considering drafting Vanacker and Holmes, as was Vanacker when they asked him about Holmes.
“When you go through these character assessments, we were fortunate to have Nick Lardis there (in Brantford) and Marek Vanacker,” amateur scouting director Mike Doneghey said. “So when I called them and talked to them, they endorsed (Holmes). They said, ‘Yeah, this kid’s not fake tough.’”
Holmes smiled at that assessment: “I don’t know, I’m not afraid to drop the gloves if I need to, but I only really do it if I need to protect a teammate or something like that.”
Of Vanacker, Holmes said: “Oh, he’s a dog on a bone. Just never gives up.”
Vanacker watched the draft waiting for Holmes to hear his name called.
“I stepped away for a second not even watching the TV, and all of a sudden my mom said that he got drafted,” Vanacker said. “But she didn’t say Chicago, so I didn’t know for sure. And I looked and he said Chicago and I was like, ‘That’s awesome!’
“I sent him a text and called him right away. He was pretty pumped and excited, so pretty special to have me, Lardis and Holmes here ’cause we’re all on the same team, so that’s pretty cool.”