They may only be just about to turn 16, but Heath and Grayson Bradley certainly do not look like some of the youngest players in the Great North U18 League this season.
Grayson, who measures 6'3" and 180, plays defence, while twin brother Heath at 6'2" and 175 pounds, plays forward.
The twin towers both play for the North Bay U16 AAA Trappers coached for veteran bench boss Guy Blanchard which are gearing up for the Great North U18 Championship weekend in Kapuskasing next week.
"I'm a big D for sure so yeah that be probably all my strength would be size, battles, strengths. Yeah, just someone you can rely on to get the puck out or keep the puck on the blue line," said Grayson, the big defenceman.
Heath Bradley says he likes to stir it up.
“I'd say someone like Ryan Reeves, a big body. I love getting in corners like puck battles, dirty goals, all the good stuff," noted Heath.
Their father Todd Bradley is a former OHL player and former coach with the North Bay Skyhawks, while their mother Jennifer was a competitive figure skater.
“I've put in hours and hours of skating just had to wait for my feet to stop growing so I could finally feel comfortable in them and work on a lot of acceleration all that kind of stuff," noted Grayson.
Despite the struggles for Mom and Dad to keep up with their skate sizes, the Bradley's still do their best to take advantage of their large stature on the ice.
"I have a long reach, it is harder for them to get shots off when my stick is there," noted Heath.
"I can use my body to get around them and harder for them to get around me/It just makes you feel better cause you're knocking kids over more and it's harder for them to win battles against you. I'm winning more battles and that's always boosting my confidence."
"My strengths or another good one would be my reach I could just get in so many different passing lanes or shooting lanes that the forwards won't shoot there anymore," said Grayson, who models his game after Alex Pietrangelo.
The Bradley's are hoping they have had a strong enough season with the U16 Trappers to get recognized by OHL scouts before the late April OHL Priority Selection.
"If you want a reliable D who could just always be there getting in lanes and just shutting things down for you, I'm your guy," said Grayson.
“I’d just say there’s not a lot of players like me and not a lot that are tall and willing to get into battles you know, willing to get into corners and that I can make a difference on the ice," Heath said.
See Heath and Grayson's video profiles below: