Brunicke, a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, is a rare and highly sought-after right-handed defenseman. The 18-year-old spent the 2023-24 regular season with the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League (WHL) where he recorded a career-high 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 49 games. Over two seasons with the Blazers, Brunicke has 29 points. While his offense has never been his main asset, he is believed to have more ability on the offensive end than his numbers show.

Internationally, Bruncike played for Team Canada at the IIHF U18 World Junior Championship where he tallied one goal and three assists for four points in seven games and was very strong on the defensive end, finishing with a plus-11 rating in the tournament.

Defensively, the 6-foot-3 blueliner has the ability to check hard, control play around his own net and end cycles with stick checks or hits. He can also shut down opponents off the rush, matching their speed very well. Once he has the puck, he makes smart decisions and has plenty of skill to make crisp breakout passes to teammates.

“I do know there’s a ton of interest from teams looking for a big, right-handed defenseman who can play a bunch of different roles,” Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis wrote in his final prospect rankings list. “He’s quite smart with the puck, and I feel like his offensive abilities are better than his numbers suggest. With a 6-foot-3 frame, projectable traits and some budding offensive potential, there’s a lot to like here – and a decent showing at the U-18s doesn’t hurt.”