Nashville Predators’ Cameron Reid turned heads en route to OHL Championship win

Nashville Predators prospect Cameron Reid helped the Kitchener Rangers take home their fifth OHL Championship win Tuesday, May 12, sweeping the Barrie Colts in four games.

Reid ranked first in team and third in league postseason points with 14 in 18 contests. The defenseman served as the Kitchener’s captain and helped guide the team to its 11th straight playoff appearance.

He was drafted 21st overall by Nashville in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and is expected to join the team in the coming years. Now en route to the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2008, the Rangers will look to Reid to guide them to victory.

Reid’s leadership and experience played a huge role in Kitchener’s playoff success

Reid, 19, is in his third year with Kitchener, and the journey has been nothing short of impressive. In his rookie season, Reid scored two goals and 21 points in 49 games. He played a crucial role on the Rangers defense, holding a +18-point differential.

His sophomore season, his draft year, was where we really saw who Reid was. His point total more than doubled with 54 points (14 goals, 40 assists) in 67 games. In the playoffs, Reid’s totals dipped with him posting five assists in 14 games. He didn’t take that lightly.

Following the NHL Draft, Reid took a larger role with the Rangers, stepping up as the team’s number one defenseman and captain. He started the season late thanks to an injury he underwent in Predators training camp. In the 57 games he played with Kitchener, he tallied 15 goals and 57 points with a +25 rating.

The Rangers finished second in league standings, five points behind from first. They entered the finals as the heavy favorite, and they delivered, finishing in a four-game sweep.

The Predators got a promising defenseman in the making

If there is one thing Predators fans should taking out of this outing, it’s that Reid is legit, and he’s only getting started. Reid committed to playing with the University of Michigan in the NCAA next season. He’ll join Predators goalie prospect Jack Ivankovic on the Wolverines. The two were drafted in the same draft, going 37 picks within each other.

Reid is a reliable two-way defender with high hockey IQ. Despite his smaller 6-foot frame, he excels in physical play and isn’t afraid to lay a hit or two. He’s a shutdown defenseman at heart, but he has the makings to be a quarterback for many teams. Reid combines his defensive talent with his stickhandling which leads to transitions up ice and into the O-zone.

With the Predators defensemen prospects leaning more towards the offensive side, at Reid to the mix brings things to an equilibrium. His left-handedness would slot nicely alongside a right-handed offensive defenseman on a top-to-middle pairing in the future.

Now onto the Memorial Cup, Reid will continue to prove why he is not only one of the top defensemen in the CHL but also in his draft class.