Andrew Brunette

Andrew Brunette

Andrew Brunette in 2012
Born (1973-08-24) August 24, 1973
Sudbury, ON, CAN
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for Washington Capitals
Nashville Predators
Atlanta Thrashers
Minnesota Wild
Colorado Avalanche
Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Draft 174th overall, 1993
Washington Capitals
Playing career 19932012

Andrew D. Brunette (born August 24, 1973) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played over 1,100 career games in the National Hockey League. He was an assistant coach of the Minnesota Wild for the 2014-15 season.

Playing career

Brunette grew up in the small community of Valley East, Ontario just outside Sudbury. He played much of his minor hockey career with the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats of the NOHA.

After a solid Midget season in 1989-90, Brunette was selected in the 7th round of the 1990 OHL Priority Selection by the Owen Sound Platers. He was an OHL teammate of future NHLers Kirk Maltby, Scott Walker, Kevin Weekes and Jamie Storr.

Brunette debuted in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playing for the Owen Sound Platers for three seasons between 1990 and 1993 and scored 295 points in 195 games, winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, the scoring title, in 1993. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the seventh round, 174th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

After being drafted, he played for the Hampton Roads Admirals in the ECHL, before moving to the American Hockey League (AHL), where he played for two more teams that season: Providence Bruins and Portland Pirates. Brunette stayed with the Pirates until 1998, but was called up by the Capitals for the first time in the 1995–96 NHL season and played 11 games. Over the following few seasons, he played 51 more games for Washington before being selected in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft by new franchise Nashville Predators. He also scored the first goal for the Nashville Predators.

After playing in the inaugural 1998–99 season for the Predators, he moved to the newly created Atlanta Thrashers and played two seasons there before moving to the Minnesota Wild in the 2001–02 NHL season. He scored the final goal on Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche in overtime of game 7 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals on April 22, 2003. Brunette stayed with the Wild until 2004 and signed as a free agent for the Colorado Avalanche after the 2004–05 lockout.

He scored the series-clinching goal for the Colorado Avalanche on April 30, 2006, against the Dallas Stars in game 5 of the 2006 Western Conference Quarterfinals. The 2006–07 was his best individual season, averaging over a point per game for his first time in the NHL, playing on a line with superstar centre Joe Sakic. Andrew Brunette scored his 500th NHL career point on October 26, 2007 against the Calgary Flames.[1] Brunette played three consecutive full 82 game seasons with the Avalanche.

Brunette signed a 3-year, $7-million deal with the Minnesota Wild on July 1, 2008 to begin a second stint with the Wild.[2]

Brunette was highly regarded for his physical durability and consistency, qualities which allowed him to play in 509 consecutive games without having to sit out due to injury from 2002 to 2009.[3] Brunette was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee but insisted on playing out the 2008–09 season, before having surgery in the offseason.[4][5]

He signed a one-year contract worth $2 million with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2011.[6] During the 2011–12 season Brunette, in a reduced role, recorded a career low in points with 27 in 78 games.

With the NHL lockout and limited NHL interest as a Free Agent upon the resumption of the shortened 2012–13 season, on February 13, 2013, Brunette announced his retirement in taking up the position of Hockey Operations Advisor to the Minnesota Wild.[7]

Career statistics

Brunette with the Avalanche.
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1989–90 Rayside-Balfour Canadians NOJHL 4 1 1 2 0
1989–90 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats NOHA 32 38 65 103 20
1990–91 Owen Sound Platers OHL 63 15 20 35 15
1991–92 Owen Sound Platers OHL 66 51 47 98 42 5 5 0 5 8
1992–93 Owen Sound Platers OHL 66 62 100 162 91 8 8 6 14 16
1993–94 Hampton Roads Admirals ECHL 20 12 18 30 32 7 7 6 13 18
1993–94 Providence Bruins AHL 3 0 0 0 0
1993–94 Portland Pirates AHL 23 9 11 20 10 2 0 1 1 0
1994–95 Portland Pirates AHL 79 30 50 80 53 7 3 3 6 10
1995–96 Portland Pirates AHL 69 28 66 94 125 20 11 18 29 15
1995–96 Washington Capitals NHL 11 3 3 6 0 6 1 3 4 0
1996–97 Portland Pirates AHL 50 22 51 73 48 5 1 2 3 0
1996–97 Washington Capitals NHL 23 4 7 11 12
1997–98 Portland Pirates AHL 43 21 46 67 64 10 1 11 12 12
1997–98 Washington Capitals NHL 28 11 12 23 12
1998–99 Nashville Predators NHL 77 11 20 31 26
1999–00 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 81 23 27 50 30
2000–01 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 77 15 44 59 26
2001–02 Minnesota Wild NHL 81 21 48 69 18
2002–03 Minnesota Wild NHL 82 18 28 46 20 18 7 6 13 4
2003–04 Minnesota Wild NHL 82 15 34 49 12
2005–06 Colorado Avalanche NHL 82 24 39 63 48 9 3 6 9 8
2006–07 Colorado Avalanche NHL 82 27 56 83 36
2007–08 Colorado Avalanche NHL 82 19 40 59 14 10 5 3 8 2
2008–09 Minnesota Wild NHL 80 22 28 50 18
2009–10 Minnesota Wild NHL 82 25 36 61 12
2010–11 Minnesota Wild NHL 82 18 28 46 16
2011–12 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 78 12 15 27 4 6 1 0 1 0
NHL totals 1110 268 465 733 314 49 17 18 35 14

See also

References

  1. Stancher, Craig (2007-10-26). "Brunette Earns 500th Career Point". Colorado Avalanche. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  2. "Brunette leaves Avs for Wild, report says". Rocky Mountain News. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  3. "Brunette's ironman streak ends at 509". nhl.com. 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
  4. "Wild's Brunette to have surgery on torn ACL". cbc.ca. 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
  5. "Wild's Brunette has knee surgery". slam.canoe..ca. 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
  6. "NHL Free Agent Tracker". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  7. "Brunette named Hockey Operations Advisor". Minnesota Wild. 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2013-02-13.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Brad Brown
Minnesota Wild captain
Feb-Apr 2002
Succeeded by
Brad Bombardir
Preceded by
Brad Brown
Minnesota Wild captain
November 2003
Succeeded by
Richard Park
Preceded by
Jim Dowd
Minnesota Wild captain
Mar/Apr 2004
Succeeded by
Alex Henry
Preceded by
Mikko Koivu
Minnesota Wild captain
February 2009
Succeeded by
Mikko Koivu
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