'We think we have best goalie in the OHL:' Brett Brochu to anchor Knights net as season opens
Coming off the high of winning a gold medal for Canada’s World Junior team, Brett Brochu was hoping to start his professional career this season.
However that will be put on hold for at least one more season.
“I would say it's not it's definitely not disappointment to be a London Knight,” says Brochu, 20, ahead of Friday night’s season-opening game against the Owen Sound Attack.
Brochu, of Belle River, Ont., was sent back to London, Ont. for an overage season after a tryout with the Vancouver Canucks.London Knights goalie Brett Brochu takes a break from the net in practice on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
“It is my last chance and I think it's my last chance to win for the guys as a London Knight night so I'm really looking forward to this year,” says Brochu, who went undrafted in the NHL draft this summer.
“It’s awesome to be here and no matter what it's a great experience every time I get to get to step on the ice here.”
He was named OHL goaltender of the year ago after posting a 29-11-2 record with a 2.75 goals against average and two shutouts a year ago.
With a lot of uncertainty as to who will put the puck in the net this year with a number of forwards having moved on, head coach Dale Hunter is thrilled to know he has security in goal.
“We always hope that he will get a contract, but we have had a lot of overage goalies that come here and they play well and they get a contract and then move up to the next level,” says Hunter.
“So we just hope that we need them to have a big year for us and he needs it to get a contract, so it's a double whammy for us.”
It would not be a surprise to see him play the majority of the team’s games this season, although it won’t be all of them.
“We’ve got some young goalies here,” says Hunter.
“They're going to get their chances as we have a lot of three-in- threes (three games in three days over a weekend). We got a few of them so they got to play, as Brett can't play three in a row. So they have to play some games, so it gives them a good chance like, like Brochu had when he was 17.”
Brochu tells CTV News that the only stat he cares about is wins. He wants personal stats, but during the season, he doesn’t look at his numbers.
“Obviously I want to win so I think that's the biggest thing that I'm looking forward to this year is having a good chance at winning the league,” says Brochu.
“I know what I need to work on and there's a lot of things that I can get better at.”
When asked what he felt he needed to improve, he kept tight-lipped.
“I just think stopping more pucks as that's my job,” says Brochu.
“It's simple, but we can’t go into a lot of details here as I don't want to give away too many secrets of weaknesses.”
Judging by his play since his arrival in London, there aren’t many weaknesses for opponents to discover.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.