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Bucks at a glance: Briggs Gammill

Written by Chris Keck on

 

Like the rest of his Bucks teammates, Briggs Gammill arrived in Cranbrook as a complete stranger to the community. However, he will leave as the franchise’s first captain and a big part of the foundation laid in Cranbrook.

Gammill will likely only spend one season in Cranbrook, but it will certainly be a memorable one. The 2001-born forward from New Canaan, Connecticut is committed to Yale University next fall.

He committed to the Ivy League school back in August of 2017. At the time, Bucks head coach and general manager Ryan Donald was an assistant coach with Yale. One of Donald’s duties was recruiting players, meaning he played a big role in recruiting Gammill to both Cranbrook and Yale.

Last April, the Bucks officially announced a commitment from the Yale-destined import. Donald shared his thoughts on Gammill in the team’s media release.

“We are excited to be able to add a young man of Briggs’ character and ability to our roster,” he said. “Briggs’ was a key component of Berkshire’s hockey program over the past few seasons, ultimately leading them to the Elite-8 semifinals this past season. He is a player that we will count on to lead our team both on and off the ice. Briggs will be a great addition to our program and the city of Cranbrook.”

Gammill joins the Bucks after four seasons playing with Berkshire School in the United States High School prep league. There were some other stops along the way, including three invites to USA Hockey Selects camps.

Let’s take a closer glance at Gammill’s path from New Canaan to Cranbrook.

Four successful seasons at Berkshire School

Gammill’s young career began to take off back in the 2016-17 season when he joined Berkshire.

In 28 games that campaign, Gammill scored eight goals and seven assists for a modest 15 points. He also saw some game action with the Mid-Fairfield Rangers 16U AAA during that same season.

It was during the following summer that Gammill not only committed to Yale but was recognized by a pair of top-tier junior leagues.

First, the Sioux City Musketeers selected Gammill in the eighth round, 128th overall, at the 2017 US Hockey League Futures Draft in May.

Then in June, he was selected in the 14th round, 249th overall by the Shawinigan Cataractes in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

In the 2017-18 season that followed, Gammill again spent some time with the 16U AAA Rangers. He did most of his damage with Berkshire though, as he tallied 21 goals and 28 points in 27 games in the USHS-Prep league.

Gammill was then limited to just 13 total games during the 2018-19 regular season. Seven of those games were with Berkshire, in which he contributed one goal and one assist. He also suited up in six games with Mid-Fairfield’s 18U AAA Rangers, scoring two goals and one assist.

At the USA Hockey Select-17 event in 2018-19, Gammill enjoyed the most productive of his three camps. He scored two goals and added two assists in five games.

Last season was a big one for Gammill, his final campaign with Berkshire School. He scored 25 goals and added 20 assists for 45 points in 29 contests in the USHS-Prep league.

This past summer, Gammill was once again drafted, this time to the North American Hockey League. He went in the 10th round, 284th overall, the Minnesota Wilderness.

An instant leader in Cranbrook

Gammill wasted no time getting acclimated to the BCHL game and became an instant leader for the Bucks. In Cranbrook’s opening month of exhibition play, Gammill led the Bucks in points and assists.

His leadership roles in both offensive production and responsible play led to Gammill being named my Bucks’ second star of October.

His November began by being rewarded for his strong play and leadership capability, as Gammill was named the first captain of the expansion franchise. The appointment of captain seemed to light a fire under the already-productive Gammill, and he found another level.

Again, the leadership he provided, along with his offensive production, awarded him my Bucks second star of the month honours in November.

Gammill finished the extended exhibition season with four goals and seven assists for 11 points in eight games. His efforts earned him a spot on both my second all-star team and all-rookie team during the BCHL’s extended training camp.

He has continually proved that he is a leader on the Bucks in a multitude of ways. Whenever the 2020-21 season gets underway, Gammill and the Bucks seem poised to make a statement in their debut season.