Tommy Karmiris has continued his up-trajectory in his hockey career by playing a key part in the Toronto Patriots’ Buckland Cup victory in April.
After playing a handful of games for the Brantford Bulldogs during the 2025 season, scoring the season opener goal, and gaining important experience at the OHL level, Karmiris looked to find a role with the Patriots, one of the premier teams in the OJHL.
“I had a close friend there… Luciano Bruno…and we kept in contact…at one point, I was talking with him, and he said that I could be a good fit…as he knew my style of play. The Patriots have a great team and I remembered having good battles with them during my time playing with Burlington as an 18-year-old. I would eventually become part of the team…and getting to know the GM, Blake Ricci and the head coach Vince Bellissimo, made me realize I was making the right call coming to play in Toronto,” he said.
Although the forward didn’t play the full slate of games, he still managed to rack up 35 points in 24 games and formed a solid unit with his line. He also spoke highly of the coaching staff.
“It was a great season…playing alongside with two unbelievable players…Cole Cooksey and Luciano. We meshed well together. I also had a chance to play with Tate Collins and Simon Howard for a little and they were great too. Overall, we had a well-balanced team….we had four solid lines, strong defensemen and two goalies ready to play on any given night. I owe all my success to them and the coaching staff… who was Vince, our head coach, John Luciani and Matt Iannetta, who were the assistant coaches….wanted to make you into a good player and even better person and treated us like their sons. Their leadership guided us all season and they really successfully balanced the older guys with more experience with the younger guys….into a strong team,” Karmiris noted.
There were many hard battles during the season, and there was one in particular that Karmiris highlights.
“The time we played the Leamington Flyers really sticks out in my mind. We had a lot of guys injured, and we were fighting to stay in first place. It was a good game for me…as I ended up getting a hat trick….the team really came together and battled for that win. We wanted that home ice advantage in the first round, and really made that push to get that important win,” he said.
After finishing the season with a dominating 47-8-0-1 record, the expectations for the Patriots were high.
“Obviously, our goal was to win the whole thing…but we didn’t look past any of our opponents and respected each one. We treated each game like it was a game seven. We knew we had to keep that [urgency]…while remaining patient and sticking with our game plan,” he said. “We played well in the first round, coming out of the gate with a sweep, winning against a gritty Mississauga team. Although they finished as an eighth seed, we didn’t take them lightly. And for the second round, we didn’t take our foot off the gas. We ended up sweeping Milton. They were a tough, physical team, but we kept with our game plan and came up with the win.”
While Karmiris had a solid regular season, he saved his best performance for the playoffs, leading the team with 16 goals and finishing with one of the best points totals.
“When it comes to playoff games…I’m really comfortable with the pressure and the spotlight. I play a hard, physical game [and] that was my whole goal for the playoffs….while producing on the offensive side. While I was a top scorer in the season, I didn’t have a full season of play under my belt…but with the playoffs, everyone starts fresh, and I just wanted to be one of the top guys on…to help the team by scoring or being physical,” he stated.
After sweeping the first two rounds, the Patriots were up against a strong Collingwood in the Eastern Conference Finals and the then matched up against Newmarket where he led the team in goals in the finals.
“We lost the first game, and you know that was our first loss, so it was a little, it was a little different, but you know, the guys knew that we weren’t going to sweep the whole playoffs, so we, we regrouped, and we lost game six, but it was do or die in game seven. We had to come up strong, and we ended up winning it,” the forward reflected. “Now, for Newmarket, they were another good team. We knew they would get under our skin….but we came with our skill and speed. They battled hard…so, we made sure to [counter] with that intensity. We ended up winning it in five games. It was very special to win the Buckland Cup…everyone worked so hard all year. Luciano had a fantastic playoff, leading the team in points and our goalies Nico [Armellin] and Trey [Caracciolo] play 50/50 through the playoffs. They were unbelievable, showing up to every game they played in…[and] bailing us out of some tough spots.”
After capturing the Buckland Cup, the Patriots would get the chance to battle for the Centennial Cup in Prince Edward Island, and starting off on the right foot with wins.
“We worked hard, but had a lot fun during our run in winning the Buckland Cup. We won our league, and that the goal, and we achieved it. Now with the Centennial Cup, we wanted to push ourselves to get as far as we could. For our first tournament game, we battled through all three periods against Sudbury. We ended up capitalizing on our chances and beat a really good team,” he said. “Flint Flon was up next. They were a good team and we were prepared for that game. Our coaches thought they were one of the better teams in the tournament…and we were very physical and battled for the win.”
With two hard-fought wins under their belts, the team then suffered their first loss of the tournament against the Truro Bearcats.
“We were just sticking to Patriots hockey….working hard [and] staying even keel, and leaning on our skill and trying to score goals, but we obviously had to take care of the defensive end too. Again, we took it one game at a time. Even with the two wins, it wasn’t going to get easier for us. And Truro was a good team, and we just came out flat. We were a little overconfident going into that game as they lost to one of the teams we dominated earlier on. We thought it was going to be a cakewalk, but you know every team in that tournament’s good. We regrouped and moved on,” he noted.
For the next game, it would be against College Francais de Longueuil.
“Instead of clinching first to get a bye into the semis, we had to play an extra game. We knew that it was going to be a tough one. We battled through the quarterfinals, [and] ended up winning that…we would play another good team…we got a couple calls against us which they ended up capitalizing on and they won the game. It was obviously heartbreaking and emotional for us…especially for our older guys who were moving on next year,” Karmiris said. “We were a very close team with good chemistry and we felt like the season was never going to end. After the loss, it was very emotional in the locker room. But, after some time, we reflected on the season we had and realized we had a great year.”
After a successful season with the Patriots, Karmiris will be looking ahead on improving his game, while looking to fulfill his ultimate goal.
“My goal is to get an NCAA Division One scholarship. I’m going to work all season to set myself up for the team I will be playing for next year. I want to be ready and be the best player I can be. There has been some interest, but I have to remain patient…keeping my options open, and to pick the right school when it’s the right time,” he said. “For me, my overall goal is to go as far as I can with hockey…I know I have to keep focused and not let any distractions get in my way…and just proving to anyone that doubted me along the way or hasn’t given me the chance to really show them and myself, what I can do.”
