"It’s better than I ever could’ve imagined": Behind Ben Brant’s Journey to Syracuse
- Maria Kaffes
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Matthew Gray
If you take a moment to scroll through Ben Brant’s career statistics, it won’t take long to notice a certain season that stands out from the rest.
During Brant’s 2023-24 campaign — his last with the Victoria Cougars of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) — he enjoyed a breakout season to say the least. The forward set the pace for his team offensively with 97 points (41 goals, 56 assists) through 46 regular-season games as its top option at center. For perspective, the next-closest player on the Cougars finished with just 24 tallies.
When asked about what the catalyst was behind the breakout year, Brant said his success stemmed from a change he made to how he approached the game. Up until that point, scoring hadn’t exactly been his forte.
“Most of my career I probably was besides my last junior year,” Brant said about being a pass-first mentality player. “I always liked to set somebody up. During my junior career I learned how to score goals and be more selfish and have that shot-first mentality.”
Brant has continued to lean on that mentality at Syracuse. And so far, it’s paid off. After developing his game in the VIJHL and the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Brant has emerged as SU’s top scorer this season with 14 goals. Shifting between Head Coach Chris Timmons’ top two lines, his scoring touch has helped anchor SU’s offense amid a season that’s been filled with ups and downs. Now, he hopes to lead SU back to the championship game.
Brant’s path to Central New York wasn’t a straight line. He was born in Ottawa, ON, but his first true hockey experience didn’t come until he moved to Vancouver, BC shortly after. There, with some inspiration from his father — a former player himself — Brant began to learn the basics of the sport with the Cowichan Valley Capitals and then at the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy. A defensive center from the start, Brant said when he first started playing he was often more concerned about not allowing a goal rather than scoring one himself.
“I didn’t really do anything special training-wise growing up. I just had some really good coaches when I was younger. I got pretty lucky,” Brant said.
As he approached his high school years, Brant knew if he wanted to keep improving his game he needed to find a league that could challenge him more. Thus, ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, he took his skills to the VIJHL’s Victoria Cougars as a 17 year old. Brant finished his first season there with only six points to his name, but it was hardly his fault.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cougars’ year was called off after 13 games. With plenty of time to prepare for the following season, Brant kept his skills sharp during the period of quarantine.
When he finally did return to the ice, his work away from the rink translated onto the scoresheet. Racking up 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 42 regular-season games, Brant carved out a role for himself as a dynamic top-six center for the Cougars. Still, he wasn’t satisfied. In an effort to further test himself, Brant took the nearly two-hour trip to Nanaimo and spent the next year as a member of the Clippers of the BCHL. Though his impact was limited, Brant said he grew as a player during his short stint with the team.
“It taught me the little details,” Brant said of his brief stint in the BCHL. “All those guys are playing Division I hockey. It showed me the details of the game and how you have to bring it every night. It was a grind, but I got so much better.”
When his junior hockey career came to an end, Brant had his mind set on joining the Orange for the 2024-25 season. Instead, a complication with his scholarship forced him to take a sudden gap year away from the competitive hockey space. Regardless, he still found a way to stay on his skates. Five days a week, Brant returned to the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy and served as an assistant coach for the program.
With his scholarship in order, Brant made his long-awaited debut in SU’s 2025-26 season-opener against Penn State with Jack Alecia and Nathan McLean — another first-year player — as his wingers. It didn’t take long for the trio to click, as they combined to score SU’s first goal of the season just 5:54 into the first period. However, due to a season-ending injury sustained by Alecia among other lineup changes, Brant was asked to switch between center and wing as Coach Timmons experimented with his lineup. Eventually, the McLean - Brant - Duffy line was formed, and the three have stayed together ever since.
“(McLean and I) had instant chemistry with Duffy,” Brant said. “He works so hard and he has such a great shot, and he finishes his checks. He adds a great physical presence to our line. And Nate’s just another guy who’s so skilled and smart. He can make any pass and sees the ice so well. He makes my life pretty easy.”
When it’s mattered most, that chemistry has come in clutch for the Orange. As of January 31, 2026, Brant’s line has combined for 27% of SU’s total points. Brant alone has also turned in eight multi-point performances — the most of any Syracuse player.
With their eyes set on a second straight deep postseason run, it’s clear that the Orange will need Brant to be at his best if they want to make history come March. But no matter how this season ends, he’s going to enjoy the journey with his new team every step of the way.
“It was too good of an opportunity to say no,” Brant said of coming to Syracuse. “It’s better than I ever could’ve imagined here. I love this campus, I love the rink and I love all my teammates. It’s been awesome.”