Brirr and Kaedyn Long have shared hundreds of hours on the family outdoor rink in Astorville.
But with Briir who turns 16 at the end of July, and Kaedyn turning 18 in August, the two local OHL draft picks have never had the opportunity to play on the same club team.
That is, until this fall.
Briir Long, a 10th round selection of the Brantford Bulldogs in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, and Kaedyn, a 13th round pick by the North Bay Battalion in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, will be changing that as the two recently signed to play for the St. Thomas Stars of the Greater Ontario Junior 'B' Hockey League.
Kaedyn Long, who played junior 'A' with the Powassan Voodoos in 2022-23, requested a trade to allow the opportunity to potentially play with his brother, while the Stars made the choice to use one of their two 16-year-old cards on Briir to make it happen.
For their dad Marc Long, a former OHL draft pick himself, the reality of seeing his boys in the same jersey somewhere other than the family rink, is priceless.
"Having both boys play junior hockey next season is special but having them play on the same team possibly the same line is incredible," said Marc, who also coached both his sons in North Bay Minor and AAA hockey.
Kaedyn, had his season cut short with the Voodoos due to a shoulder injury in game one of the NOJHL eastern conference final against the Timmins Rock.
The oldest Long brother had a solid rookie season of junior hockey netting 10 goals and 18 assists totalling 28 points in 45 regular season games.
"I would like to start by thanking the Voodoos organization for an amazing rookie season," said Long.
"I had an amazing time with great staff and teammates. I would like to thank them for allowing me to go play with my brother in St Thomas this upcoming season. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to play with the St Thomas Stars, they are a first-class organization who have treated me amazingly so far. I believe this will help me further my career and help me in the future."
Briir, a 5'10", 145-pound forward played the majority of his hockey days in North Bay with the Trappers but chose to go to the GTHL and play for the Mississauga Senators in his draft year. In 26 games in the Greater Toronto League, Briir Long netted 10 goals and 21 assists totalling 31 points.
"I’m really excited to start this new chapter with my brother and really looking forward to getting started," said Briir about the opportunity.
Kaedyn brings skill and grit, while Briir uses his quickness and finesse to get the job done on the ice. The brothers hope that could make for a successful combination on the same line with the Stars.
"I am looking forward to being able to play on the same team and hopefully, we get the chance to play together," said Kaedyn.
"We will also be living together down there which is an amazing situation for the both of us. I am beyond excited to play with him this year."
The only roadblock to keep that from happening is if one or both of the boys impress at their respective OHL camps and get signed.
Either way, Marc Long is a proud hockey dad.
"We are beyond proud of them and their work ethic and commitment to the game they love," said Marc.
