2026 Main Camp: Part 6 - Brayden Thompson, Sean Miller & Jesse Orlowsky

This is Part 6 of the 2026 Main Camp Recap. Coming up, we were joined by super friends Brayden Thompson and Sean Miller, followed by their relationship counselor Jesse Orlowsky. This one was a ton of fun! Enjoy! 

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This recording is the sole view of the members of the Dump & Chase Podcast.  This is a non-commercial fan production. We are not affiliated with or compensated by the Youngstown Phantoms, the United States Hockey League, or any league, club, or team.

© 2026 Dump & Chase Podcast. All Rights Reserved

Transcript

Speaker 5 0:12

Hello Phantom fans and welcome to part six of our 2026 main camp recap here on the Dump & Chase podcast. Last season, the Phantoms released several post-practice videos that highlighted the goofy, inseparable friendship between two of the players. We wanted to see that dynamic for ourselves, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. We sat down with forward Sean Miller and defenseman slash part-time forward Braden Thompson to get the full story. But we didn't stop there. Immediately after, we caught up with forward Jesse Orloski to see if he could help us make sense of everything we just experienced with BT and Milsey. So without further ado, let's jump into those conversations. Alright, and we're back here with Phantom's main camp interviews. And uh this is the big one. This is the one uh Ryan Ward has been all over us to put these two together. So no pressure on you guys whatsoever. Uh we are joined by Braden Thompson and Sean Miller. Um guys, welcome back for another season.

Speaker 2 1:20

Yeah, yeah, thanks. Thank you. Happy to be on here.

Speaker 5 1:22

So, Sean, I'm gonna ask you right off the bat. The the guy sitting next to you claims to be a defenseman. Uh we saw him at forward a couple games last season. Um his his points per game is a forward. Do you feel like maybe he's in the uh wrong position?

Speaker 3 1:37

Uh yeah, I mean, I played with him all those games and he did surprisingly well. So yeah, I don't know. There's definitely a question there with should he be playing forward, should he be playing D. I think he's just a Swiss Army knife when it comes to that.

Speaker 5 1:52

Braden, what what what's with the scoring touch there when you're on the roster as a forward?

Speaker 2 1:56

I mean, I like to just consider myself as like a hockey player and could play any position, you know. So I mean, as forward, I get a little more chance to showcase my skill and that there's a lot more responsibility playing defense, so it's nice to just hop on forward a couple games, do it. I'll do whatever Wardo tells me to do. Like if he wants me to shed mitts, I'll shed mitts. Do whatever.

Speaker 1 2:17

Can we slap the goalie pads on him?

Speaker 3 2:19

Yeah, we might be able to, honestly. Whatever Wardo says, I mean like I said, he's a Swiss Army knife. Yeah.

Speaker 5 2:25

I mean, I mean, am I correct in that? It was two games last it was the just the two games last season.

Speaker 2 2:29

You were four, I think. Four? Yeah, the Muskegon one game when we were missing guys for the Chipotle All-Star game, and then the final game against Cedar Rapids.

Speaker 5 2:43

So now I mean you you get one goal as a forward, and everybody and a lot of guys we talked to is like, oh haha, that's funny. Yeah, you know. I after the second time, do you start to think what's going on here?

Speaker 2 2:55

I mean, not necessarily. I mean I mean around the net front, I know I could just get my stick on the ice. I mean, so I wouldn't say the goals were the nicest, but I feel like I just kind of have a scoring touch around the net and mean hoping to carry that in playing defense this year, try to get some goals back from the point. But it's obviously it's been in the back of my mind a little bit, but planning on sticking to defense.

Speaker 5 3:20

Alright, now, Sean, this is is this your second main camp here with the Phantoms?

Speaker 3 3:24

No, it's my third.

Speaker 5 3:25

Third, okay. Uh, does it feel like your third? Well, I mean, we're at the end of the week, so I'm sure.

Speaker 3 3:30

Um Yeah, I don't know. It's it's kind of the same thing every year, kind of a long week, but it's been different this year in some ways.

Speaker 5 3:40

Um, how how would you say as far as far as like confidence here coming into your third year as opposed to your first year?

Speaker 3 3:46

Well, yeah, I mean, every year you are a little more confident in like my first year, I was kinda pretty nervous, but uh, this year it's it's good. It's just good to get to know everybody here and have some fun seeing guys like this guy, and yeah.

Speaker 5 4:00

Yeah, Braden, what about you coming in this year?

Speaker 2 4:03

Yeah, this is my second year at camp. So I mean last year I didn't really know I didn't know anyone coming in, so I was a little quieter, just like to myself, but this year I feel like I could come in like as a leader and like also see like all like the old returners and see the coaches. I'd feel a lot more confident just like hanging around the rink and talking to the new guys, getting to know everyone. So I'd say it's it's gone pretty well. I mean, looking forward to the final two games and just like getting to know everyone.

Speaker 5 4:29

Now, the the question we've asked of a few of the guys so far today, uh, has it felt com has it felt weird coming in here and like Junior and Rizzo isn't here?

Speaker 2 4:39

Yeah, it's it's me and Millsy have been talking about Jardine. We were really close with him. We were just talking like how funny it would be if he were here because we would always have like a good time together. But I mean, it's obviously a little weird just going from that jump from being a rookie to now being like a returner and being a leader. It's it's been a lot of fun, you know, trying to like lead the new guys and get them into it. So yeah, it's been great.

Speaker 5 5:03

So just overall for the week, uh Sean, we'll start with you. Just how how's this week been for you?

Speaker 3 5:07

Um, it's been fun and it's been a bit long, but no, it's cool getting to see everybody. It's been a a good break away, but I think we're all excited for the upcoming season, and this is kind of the start of that. So yeah, it's been fun.

Speaker 5 5:22

Braden, how's it how's it been uh going through this week? Um I'll ask this how how much time do you guys spend together away from the rink? I mean, is there any off season, or is this like the first time you guys have seen each other since the season ended?

Speaker 2 5:36

Yeah, like in person. I mean, we call pretty much almost try to every day. It's like, but I'm staying me and him are staying together this week, so it's been great catching up.

Speaker 3 5:45

I've got a few of the guys in my house, so that's been interesting.

Speaker 5 5:47

I mean, what would like would bromance be like the correct word to use here? I'd probably say like your guys' friendship has become pretty uh infamous in Youngstown.

Speaker 2 5:56

That's what people call it. Right, but more like a big brother, little brother situation. Like, I feel like I could be a big brother to Sean sometimes. He's joking. I mean, he's five six.

Speaker 5 6:07

Let's be real. There's nothing wrong with that, Sean.

Speaker 3 6:12

I mean, I'm way more mature, so uh yeah, I don't know about that.

Speaker 1 6:15

So, how much time are you guys gonna take off after this week?

Speaker 3 6:20

Like on the ice?

Speaker 1 6:22

Yeah, I mean just after after you know, all these games this week. Are you taking a couple of days off?

Speaker 3 6:28

I might take a few days off the ice. Legs are kind of tired, but I'll probably still be in the gym.

Speaker 2 6:32

Yeah, I'd say probably I don't know about this guy.

Speaker 3 6:34

He's kind of lazy.

Speaker 2 6:35

Two or three days. I mean, I like to skate a lot in the summer and work out like just like get like stronger, faster, you know. So in the gym like a ton. Probably go golf a couple times, but I'm just trying to like stay, like, stay on the grind over summer. So I wouldn't say too much.

Speaker 5 6:51

Sean, have how far of a drive do you have home from here?

Speaker 2 6:54

It's about 40 minutes.

Speaker 5 6:56

About forty minutes? Maybe now at least generically Pittsburgh, like where where specifically are we talking about?

Speaker 3 7:02

So it's Wexford, so it's like uh we know where Wexford is. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, right there.

Speaker 5 7:07

So do they do they still have all the uh Christina Aguilera billboards up or not that I know of. That was I I can remember years ago driving into Wexford and they'd have all these billboards up that she was from there. I think we've talked about I've mentioned Christina Aguilera way too much on this show. Uh yeah, see, now and then you don't even have you have Cranberry right down the road, and now you don't even have the Fall Classic there anymore.

Speaker 3 7:29

Yeah, it's a bummer. I mean, that tournament was a lot of fun for me and my family.

Speaker 5 7:33

Yeah, I mean I mean I've heard good things about the new Chicago arena where this is all taking place, but you've got kind of a bummer that definitely not in Cranberry anymore. Brayden, you have a little longer trip home. Um we we we had this conversation earlier. You're you're almost like a unicorn now in the USHL. Unicorn. Uh being being a Canadian. Yeah. Playing in the USHL.

Speaker 3 7:52

Um and being 5'6 playing in the USHL. Being 5'6, yeah. 5'7. Sure.

Speaker 5 7:59

I mean, hey he's got a scoring touch, so I mean he's making he's making it work for himself. Hey, Elite Prospects has you 5'8. Yeah. Go with that.

Speaker 2 8:06

Yeah, that's made up. I'll say 5'8.

Speaker 5 8:08

How how I that that's a segment we need to do sometimes. How accurate is your Elite Prospects page?

Speaker 2 8:14

Yeah. I mean, I'd say like I've been growing recently, so over the summer I think I grew like an inch, so I'd probably say like 5'8 and a half now.

Speaker 5 8:22

Okay.

Speaker 3 8:22

We did height and weight yesterday. He was 5'7.

Speaker 5 8:26

Don't let these guys shame you like that. I I catch it all the time. Don't let them do that to you.

unknown 8:29

Yeah.

Speaker 5 8:30

Maybe grow grow the hero a little bit. So, yeah, like I mentioned before, we joke about it, everything else. Obviously, you guys have become you know great friends throughout this entire process. Like, what what was it that kind of gravitated you two towards each other?

Speaker 2 8:42

Oh, that's a good question. I'll give that one to Sean. Alright, yeah, I'll take this one.

Speaker 5 8:47

Um Braden doesn't have an answer. That's what that's what that translates to. Don't put it on me.

Speaker 3 8:51

No, I think like super early on, like we were both like very young, and just being the younger guy, being new, kind of started just going out to eat with each other, hanging out a bit, and then as the year went on, we just like oh, and like sitting together on bus trips, every bus trip we'll sit together, just grow super close, and yeah, it's been fun. We have a lot of fun together, joke around a bit.

Speaker 5 9:12

Do you do you guys bill it together or no?

Speaker 3 9:14

We don't.

Speaker 5 9:15

Or do you feel like that might be the one step too far?

Speaker 3 9:18

Yeah, I'll draw the line there.

Speaker 5 9:19

Yeah, I might have to put my foot down on that one.

Speaker 3 9:21

That's not happening ever.

Speaker 5 9:23

Just give keep the chemistry as long as you're not with each other 24-7.

Speaker 3 9:26

No, yeah, I'd get sick of this guy.

Speaker 5 9:27

Yeah. Braden, I mean, as obviously last season didn't end the way you guys you know you guys wanted it to. I mean, how much how much of it is kind of putting that behind you and you know, looking to the future, but maybe at the same time kind of using that for motivation?

Speaker 2 9:42

Yeah, I mean, obviously it didn't go the way we wanted to, obviously. But it's not I'm not saying like our team played bad. We had a really good like run, and I feel like leaving that behind us, like us returners and just moving forward is like a big step for us. And just leading the team and like knowing that this is our year and coming out strong and just kind of like learning from that and just you know, taking like the positives from it.

Speaker 5 10:08

Now, Sean, and you know, we talked to Coach Ward about this. That I mean, what was it? I mean, I I imagine there was a level of frustration there because I I mean it wasn't like you guys rolled over in that series with Madison. You guys, I honestly I think played some of the best hockey you played all year in that series, and just the the bounces just didn't for whatever reason just didn't go your way in this series. I mean, is is there was there a level of frustration to that or well yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 3 10:32

I mean, we had a vision of winning it all and that didn't happen, and that's obviously a bummer, but I mean that's hockey. Gotta live with that. But we'll definitely take a lot from last year into this year and hope to make another run.

Speaker 5 10:46

So uh your prediction by uh the time this season's over, um, where where is uh Braden at in the uh team scoring list? Is he is he near is he near the top or yeah, I I think he's gonna have a great year.

Speaker 3 10:58

I'm I'm excited for him. I think he's no, he's gonna have a great year. He'll be below me, but he'll be up there.

Speaker 5 11:07

All right. Guys, thank you so much. We got All-Star Games coming up uh later today and tomorrow. Good luck to you guys. Uh, we'll see you here at the end of August when you guys are back in town.

Speaker 3 11:15

Yeah, sounds great. Yeah, sweet. Fun being on.

Speaker 5 11:17

Thank you for having us on here. Yep.

Speaker 3 11:18

Thanks.

Speaker 5 11:21

All right, here again at Phantoms Main Camp, sitting here at Bubba's Burgers, and no offense to anybody, probably the one guy I've been looking forward to more than anybody returning back to the show, uh, Jesse Orloski. Jesse, welcome back, bud. Love to hear it, man. I'm excited to uh be back. Uh yeah, really great to see you. You were somebody last season. We kept we kept saying, like he looks like he's just on the cusp of putting this all together. And then that last stretch of the season, I think what, like three goals in your last seven games, and then going to the playoffs. I mean, it's the the playoffs were what they were. I thought you were absolutely fantastic in that playoff series with Madison. I appreciate that. Um I mean, did it feel like kind of coming down to the that last run of the season? Just something maybe just clicked for you? Because I mean, you practically became unstoppable that last month of the season.

Speaker 4 12:10

I think it's a mix of you know, knowing what kind of game you have and a mix of like just kind of fully understanding and like getting the mental side down and just putting in the work to uh feel your best self. You know, I went through a few uh injuries, a few like uh just things that like, you know, tough, very tough, uh, tough situations. But you know, I got through it and uh I I really wanted to be for the team, uh be for the be here for the team in the more important parts of the season. And uh luckily I decided to put it together a little uh towards the end. So I mean obviously I I I I I tried to play my best hockey and uh couldn't end up as well as I wanted to, but you know, I uh put everything out there at the end there.

Speaker 1 12:56

During that stretch there at the end of the season, I know like when you scored that first goal at home, um I you your celebration like was massive. It looked just looked like a weight was lifted. You do you remember that? I I'm surprised you didn't punch a hole through the glass.

Speaker 4 13:13

Yeah, no, I it it felt really good. You know, I was on like a 10-15 game skit of not scoring a goal. So uh it I mean anyone can tell you scoring a goal feels really good, but when you uh get that like thing off your shoulder, off your back, you know, it feels even better. So yeah, I say it was a it was a really good feeling, definitely.

Speaker 5 13:31

I mean, was it was it a matter of just your confidence just kind of finally reached that level? Or because like I said, what once you kind of broke that streak and you got that goal, I mean you would just it looked like you just took it up two, three notches like the remainder of the season.

Speaker 4 13:46

Yeah, I think it's due to confidence, just due to like uh control finding your mental side of the game. I mean, like hockey's not easy, like the sport's not not uh not for everyone, you know. Um at one point, like it'll just click and you can find it uh within yourself, and you gotta know you have it in you. Just at one point it will, sometimes it won't, and uh you just gotta stay with it, gotta keep loving the game and keep uh working as hard as you could.

Speaker 5 14:12

Uh so I mean how's your week at camp been?

Speaker 4 14:14

It's been fun. I got to uh meet a lot of the newer guys, a lot of the draft picks, a lot of the rookies, uh, even some older guys. Um, so it's cool to be around a lot of hockey kids, just uh chopping up with them, uh, and even play some hockey, see the coaching staff, uh, see the the old boys too. So having a really good time for sure.

Speaker 5 14:33

Now it's certainly you look through the rosters and everything, it's it's certainly you know everything is skewed younger this year. How do how does it feel coming in here? Kind of being that old grizzled veteran in this league with some of these younger guys coming in.

Speaker 4 14:47

It feels weird for sure, but uh you just gotta take that role with uh and and kind of run with it, you know. Just uh be a good person, the guys younger than you, and just uh be a good idol so they can look up to you and uh see that uh what what what kind of the standard is here in Youngstown. So doing my best to do that and uh play some good hockey.

Speaker 5 15:10

Uh so we interviewed uh Braden and uh Milsey here before right before you, and they were just out the window waving at you while we were doing this. Um what what's the story on those two?

Speaker 4 15:21

Um they need some help. Um I feel like couple therapy would probably be their best uh way to uh figure out what's going on between them because uh one day they love each other, one day they hate each other.

Speaker 5 15:32

Um so I I feel like it's a lot of attention seeking.

Speaker 4 15:35

It is very it is very attention seeking. Um I think two two really interesting characters that uh definitely have a lot to bring, but uh them two together is uh something you don't really want to see very often, which we end up do seeing very often. So um I think uh we're gonna have a serious talk about with those two because they are something else, that's for sure.

Speaker 5 15:57

I I feel like exhausting would be a good word. Oh, yeah, there it is.

Speaker 4 16:00

Like that one.

Speaker 5 16:00

Um so like any of any of the new guys coming in, have you could is anybody you've kind of hit it off with? Uh you know, some of these newer guys coming in?

Speaker 4 16:07

Uh I've tried to talk to um a lot of them. I mean, I've talked to a lot of the rookies. There's a few kids, like the two kids on here, Convoy and uh Hare, two very nice kids. Talked to uh a few other rookies, the kid CJ Sawyer is a really nice kid. Um some uh true phase two draft picks, like Lindsay. Um I mean, there's a lot I've spoken to pretty much almost everyone. I mean, there's a lot of kids here. So it's uh it's tough. But I think I've been really friendly with uh pretty much everyone. Um try to make them feel welcome, you know. Uh so yeah, it's been uh pretty good.

Speaker 5 16:43

Now, uh, you know, coming into this season, I mean what what are kind of your goals for yourself? I I mean I would imagine kind of keeping that momentum that you carried, you know, to the end of last season, carrying that through into this year.

Speaker 4 16:53

I mean, like team-wise goals, like I want to make it as far as I can with uh with the team, win some games um individually. I think uh the best thing for me is just be as prepared as I am to uh play college hockey. Um so I think uh just get my body right, get my head mindset right, and just uh be able to find the feel the puck a little more and just uh you know have some real fun um and just play play my hockey because I know how to uh play it.

Speaker 5 17:24

So now what what what's that gonna mean to you? You know, again, obviously last season ends the way it ends, but I mean what's that gonna mean to you going back to Cavelli and seeing that Anderson Cup banner hanging from the rafters?

Speaker 4 17:34

Uh definitely definitely some good memories. Um, but uh I mean it's that that team's a standard from the the culture out. I mean, we we ran into a tough goalie at the end of the year, but like can't I can't look at that with as a bad bad team or a bad like thing that happened. Like the team was unbelievable, the kids were unbelievable, skill-wise, like playing as a team, um, and just like the culture wise, like that's that's what we have to kind of get to this coming up year, just because uh I mean they did win the we did win the Anderson Cup, so uh we have a few things to work on in the playoffs, but I think uh that that team was a real young sound standard for sure.

Speaker 5 18:17

Now w when you guys were awarded the Anderson, was it was it pretty much set in stone beforehand, don't touch it?

Speaker 4 18:24

I don't think we touched it. I don't really know what I mean.

Speaker 5 18:27

Was it planned beforehand? Hey, if we get this, don't touch it, or was it just kind of anything? I don't know.

Speaker 4 18:31

I think it was I think it was just like we saw in front of us, and I don't I think the captains kind of stayed away from it. But I don't I don't think I don't even know if they might have touched it. I don't know.

Speaker 5 18:39

I'm not sure Junior even looked at it.

Speaker 4 18:42

If you guys I guess we didn't, I guess I didn't really I don't really remember it like very vividly, but I don't think we uh I don't I don't think we touched it.

Speaker 5 18:49

I don't think nobody it doesn't look like anybody touched it, but I well junior for sure. I think I don't even think he was trying to make eye content.

Speaker 4 18:55

Yeah, I feel like that's yeah. I don't know. Maybe if we win it next year, we might have to touch it next time, you know. So we'll uh we'll see. We'll see.

Speaker 5 19:02

I mean you do have a point there, but yeah. I don't know how much tempting fate that would be, but you do have a point. Um so Jesse, um yeah, so uh we got the All-Star games coming up. Good luck. Thank you uh with those. Um hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.

Speaker 4 19:16

Uh thank you. I appreciate it.

Speaker 5 19:17

Three or four days you might give yourself off from working out and everything else you'll have coming into the end of August. But uh yeah, I mean it's you know, and we've said it many times on the show, you know, and when we had you on the show, you know, we're such big fans of you. We're we're really looking forward to see what you got coming up this year.

Speaker 4 19:32

Thank you, thank you, guys. Appreciate it, honestly.

Speaker 5 19:40

And there you go. Big thanks to Braden, Sean, and Jesse for bringing some great comedic energy to a marathon day of recording. It really reminded us a lot of our past interviews with Colin Wynne and Chase Batilla, and it was a pleasure to keep that tradition going with this group. So, coming up in part seven, we welcomed back to the show Associate Head Coach Brandon Gottkin and assistant coach and director of player development, Cal Cafuke, to get their take on camp, some of the players, and the experience of being roommates for the first time. Stay tuned.