Kamloops Blazers forward Nathan Behm tees it up and wins a long-drive competition

This is a big year for Calgary's Nathan Behm.

The 17-year-old is getting ready to start his second season with the Kamloops Blazers and will be eligible for the 2025 NHL entry draft.

Behm says he's hoping he'll go in the first round.

"It's huge," he said about the upcoming season.

"It's exciting and it's every kid's dream to get drafted into the NHL I think in Canada in hockey, so I think it will be a good year for me. I'm prepared and I've been training hard, so I'm excited for it."

Hockey isn't his only sport

Hockey is Behm's No. 1 sport but he also likes to golf.

He started playing the game when he was two or three years old and as time went on, he had the talent to hit the ball a long ways.

Behm says the favourite club in his bag is the driver.

"I've always hit the ball a long way, so that's my favourite club, I would say, for sure. I like it because it gets to the green faster," he said with a laugh.

Winning the U17 Canadian long-drive championship

Behm hits the ball so far, he decided to enter the U17 long-drive championship last weekend in Leduc.

Despite being the first time he'd entered a long-drive championship, he took home the title.

Behm won it with a drive of 340 yards.

He says he really wasn't expecting to win.

"I ended up just showing up and just kind of not knowing what to expect, not knowing what my competition would be like, and I ended up winning it," he said.

"I didn't really have any of the correct tees that you have to use and I had to buy them there. I really didn't have anything and it's just so cool that I showed up and ended up winning."

Not surprised he won

When he's not on the golf course, Behm has been busy getting ready for the upcoming season with the Blazers.

He trains with a bunch of other WHLers at Flames Community Arena.

Keets Fawcett of the Calgary Hitmen wasn't surprised to learn Behm had won the long-drive championship.

"He's a pretty good athlete all around, so it really doesn't surprise me. He seems to be able to do it all, so he's a pretty athletic kid," he said.

Added Hitmen teammate Reese Hamilton, "I never heard of him being a long-drive competition guy but I saw that he drove the ball 340 yards, so that's pretty impressive, for sure."

Winning was cool

By winning the Canadian U17 title, Behm qualified to compete in the worlds but he won't be able to make it because of hockey.

He says he wouldn't mind defending his Canadian title next summer.

For now, hockey is his priority but holding the long-drive trophy is a memory he'll have forever.

"Quite a bit bigger than any hockey trophy '’ve ever got, I think. Most hockey trophies are a little smaller because they've got to make some for more kids. An individual sport like golf, it's a big trophy, so it was pretty cool to have that," he said.

Behm and his Blazers teammates hit the ice for training camp next week.