LONDON, Ontario — Opportunities to showcase his talent have continued for a player that is still very much on the NHL radar, despite going undrafted in July. London Knights goaltender Brett Brochu has kept himself busy in net despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. His dedication and strong play have kept Brochu as an intriguing player in the hockey world.

Brochu has the crease for the Knights in the 2021-22 season. The netminder will have a lot expected of him after a dynamic 2019-20 debut campaign. The former sixth-round pick by London in the Ontario Hockey League’s priority draft made the most of his first season. In 42 games, Brochu posted a 2.40 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and recorded two shutouts. The 2019-20 season was cut short due to COVID-19, while the 2020-21 schedule never happened. That has not slowed Brochu down in his development between the pipes.

Being the 114th pick in the OHL draft and then going undrafted in the NHL in July has not stopped Brochu from competing at high levels. The 19-year-old took part in Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team summer development camp this summer. This was the second time Brochu has been a part of the camp for Team Canada.

As one of five goaltenders who was invited to development camp, the Tilbury, Ontario native is on the short list of candidates to play in the World Juniors this Winter. The tournament is scheduled to be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta in December and January.

Brochu has also been invited to the Pittsburgh Penguins rookie camp this fall. He is expected to depart London on Sept. 14 to compete against other NHL hopefuls. This will not be the stopper’s first experience with the Penguins organization. Pittsburgh’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, utilized the netminder as insurance ahead of last year’s shortened season.

While many junior players were left without competitive hockey last year, Brochu took advantage of his opportunity and stuck with the Penguins all season. He appeared as the backup goaltender on numerous occasions and was given a shot to start in the team’s season finale in May. Brochu stopped 31 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Hershey Bears. The time spent with the AHL squad allowed him to continue to work on his game, while many peers were left sitting at home.

Fast forward to the upcoming OHL season and expectations for Brochu are high. In the Knights first pre-season game on Sept. 3, the backstop was named first star. The team lost in a shootout 3-2 to the Sarnia Sting but Brochu was excellent in net. He stopped 25 of the 27 shots Sarnia took and gave his team every chance to win the game.

Between the Knights, Penguins and Hockey Canada, Brochu is a player generating a lot of buzz in the crease. The goaltender will have every opportunity to continue to show the work ethic, poise, and skill that have opened up doors for him at multiple levels.

Statistics and information courtesy of the Ontario Hockey League, London Knights and Hockey Canada

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