MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – Braydin Lewis was one of the youngest players with the Metro Jets last season and won’t turn 18 until the middle of October.
Still, the Fort Wayne, Ind., native made an impact in his rookie season on the Jets’ blue line and is back for another year after re-signing with the USPHL club earlier this month.
“It was a no-brainer to come back to the Jets after last season,” said Lewis. “The coaching staff’s goal is to see the players succeed and move up to the next level. The Jets give you every opportunity to be successful.
“Obviously, the way last season ended was not the way we wanted it to go. It left a bad taste in all the boys’ mouths and it’s a feeling we never want to have again. A lot of the boys are returning and with our new players, our goal all year will be getting that natty championship.”
Lewis tallied six goals and 14 assists for 20 points during the 2020-21 regular season and added a goal in four playoff games.
Jets coach-GM Justin Quenneville and associate head coach Jamie Lovell saw Lewis go from a young, raw talent to a more well-rounded player as last season wore on.
“Even though ‘Lewy’ was young last year, he impressed early,” Quenneville said. “When he is on his game, he is the top defenseman on the ice. He does a lot of little things well on both sides of the puck but more importantly, he’s difficult to play against. He shoots the puck like a pro and has a nice skill set under pressure. With the way he matured last year and the role he will continue to grow into, he has the potential to play this game a long time. We are excited to work with him again this year.”
“He’s in your face, tough, strong on the puck and in every battle,” added Jets associate coach Jamie Lovell. “He just makes life miserable for opposing forwards, but not only that, he can add offense with his ability to shoot a puck. Last year, he was one of the youngest defenseman we ever had at this level, but that didn’t hold him back. He was solid and showed flashes of being an all-around defenseman that will eat up minutes and play in every situation.”
Lewis noted how the Jets organization strives for success, on and off the ice, and he witnessed that firsthand last year.
“Coach Q and the rest of the coaching staff pushed keeping plays simple all last year,” Lewis said. “This helped me improve tremendously as a player. With the facility and opportunities we had last year, there was a lot of room to improve and all the boys took advantage of that.
“Since this year will be my second year with the Jets, I will be more of a leader this season. Still being a younger birth year but not the youngest like I was last year, leadership will be something I will try to accomplish.”
And with players reporting to Mount Clemens Ice Arena next week, Lewis recognizes the time to start getting in the right mindset is now.
“This season will be a successful one because of the way things ended last year,” said Lewis. “Even though we all worked our tails off last year, we know we will have to work even harder to get that accomplished.
“On a personal level, my mindset will be on that national championship ring all season long.”
