Rossetto feels the roar
He is small but smart. He has speed to go with skill. And up against players who are anywhere between one and four years older than him has been part of the adjustment for 2008 birth year forward Nik Rossetto, a promising Sault Ste. Marie product and rookie skater with the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League.
For starters, the 5 foot 9, 160 pound Rossetto loves playing in Brantford.
“Playing in Brantford is just incredible … the fans, the rink, the team and just the whole organization and the community is spectacular,” the son of Mark and Meisha Rossetto relayed to Hockey News North.
The youngster added that moving from the under 16 level of hockey to the OHL has naturally been an adjustment.
“I think I am adjusting pretty well, though. Obviously closer to the start of the year it was more of a struggle but I have been able to pick up some tips from teammates and coaches and that has made it a lot easier to adjust and to be able to play my game in a much more competitive league,” relayed Rossetto.
A hard working right winger, Rossetto is satisfied with his play to date, which includes six goals, seven assists, 13 points in 43 games for the Bulldogs, who have won 10 of their last 11 games.

“I would say yes, I am happy with my play. Obviously there are things I need to get better at, in an all around way but being a younger guy I am just trying to do my best to help the team,” Rossetto noted.
Brantford is part of an ultra competitive Eastern Conference of the OHL. How competitive? Well, just five points separate the top five teams — including Brantford — among the 10 members of the Eastern market.
“I think my team stacks up very highly in the conference,” noted Rossetto. “We have a wild team, every player brings something different to the table and that is why we have been very successful, especially over the past while.”
Meanwhile, Brantford general manager Matt Turek has gone to great lengths in praising the ability, character and potential of Rossetto.
“Nik is a tremendously skilled player that we feel can be a real difference maker for the Bulldogs going forward. Nik possesses an elite release and shot combination that immediately makes him a player that opposing defenses have to keep tabs on,” Turek began.
“Nik also brings a strong desire to continue to develop his all around game and a commitment to making his team better that shows the high character level that we covet with the Bulldogs,” summed up Turek.
An electrifying forward at the minor hockey level, Rossetto became a gamble of a pick by Brantford in the third round of the 2024 OHL priority selections draft. With so much interest from major Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association schools and indications that he might be headed that way, Rossetto dropped from being a projected first rounder to the third round, where Brantford took a chance on him.
After playing all of his minor hockey at home, Rossetto left Sault Ste. Marie for Pittsburgh in 2023 to play in the Jr. Penguins Under 16 AAA elite program. Rossetto sparked all Jr. Penguins in scoring during the ’23-24 regular season with 47 goals, 27 assists, 74 points in 53 games.
And now the youngster has a new hockey home, in Brantford, as an up and coming OHL’er and a potential impact player in the making.