Brant and Wyn Laird are pursuing their passion for hockey while proving the sport has a place close to home.

Words by Karen McCain | Images by Justin Hunter

In much of the South, ice hockey can feel like a world away—something families are more likely to see in movies such as Miracle and The Mighty Ducks, or during the Winter Olympics, than in their own weekly routines.

For Brant Laird, however, that distant sport became real when he was eight years old and his friend Mitchell Nutter invited him to a “bring a friend” ice hockey camp. One afternoon on the ice was enough. Brant came home asking his mom for skates and lessons, and what began as a simple invitation quickly became a lasting passion.

“I’ve been playing ever since,” Brant says.

Before long, hockey became more than Brant’s sport; it became part of his family’s rhythm. His younger brother, Wyn, spent countless hours at the rink during Brant’s lessons, watching from the sidelines until he decided he wanted a turn on the ice, too. Twelve years later, that same determination still drives him.

“We have been told repeatedly that we would have to get out of the South to advance in hockey, but we plan to prove them wrong,” Wyn says.

As the brothers grew older, their hockey paths began to take different turns. Brant now plays primarily in Pelham on a house team, while Wyn competes for a travel team based in Huntsville. Wyn’s season runs from August through April, taking him to places such as Miami, California, and even Canada.

For Wyn, that demanding schedule is simply part of the game he loves. Between workouts, practices, and a long season of travel, hockey requires steady commitment, but he embraces the challenge.

“I work out with weights and try to get more athletic,” Wyn says. “I also have practice multiple times a week and play sixty to seventy games in a season.”

While Wyn has built his game through travel hockey, Brant’s path has continued to grow in a different setting. He now plays in a beer league with an older crowd, where his experience and skill recently opened the door to a new opportunity.

“I was playing with some guys and caught the attention of UAB’s assistant coach,” Brant says. “He asked if I would be interested in playing for them this fall. Of course, I said yes, so I will try out and hopefully will be a UAB Blazer in the fall.”

The opportunity comes at an exciting time for Brant, who plans to study finance while continuing to pursue hockey at the next level.

Even as Brant looks ahead to UAB, Wyn remains focused on his own goals. A junior at Jasper High School, he continues to play for the Alabama Thunder and understands the sacrifices that come with competing for a team far from home.

“I do not mind the travel and commitment it takes,” Wyn says. “I have the drive to be the best I can be for my team.”

That drive follows both brothers off the ice. For Brant and Wyn, improvement comes from replaying games, studying film, and taking an honest look at what they can do better.

“We do not watch to see what our teammates do, but to see what we can do better,” they say.

Wherever the game takes them—Pelham, Huntsville, or beyond—the Laird brothers continue chasing a sport that once seemed far from home while proving that hockey has a place in the South. 78