Brett Brochu Steals Starters Job In London

When the season started, the London Knights had three goaltenders on their roster. The expectation was that NHL draft pick Jordan Kooy would be the starter, and rookies Brett Brochu and Matt Onuska would battle for the back up role.

A month into the OHL season, and Matt Onuska is now playing for the GOJHL’s St. Thomas Stars after Brochu grabbed the full time roster spot, and Brochu is now outperforming Kooy and is earning the key starts for the OHL’s Knights.

Kooy, who backed up another Chatham-Kent netminder Joseph Raaymakers last year in London’s crease, was the only OHL experienced goaltender on the Knights’ roster, having played 61 games across the last three seasons, and was a 7th round NHL draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights last year. His resume also earned him a spot playing for the OHL in the CHL Canada/Russia Series this season.

But the Knights have stated, and have proven, they’ll run with whichever goalie is playing better, and right now, that’s Brett Brochu.

Brochu, a Tilbury product, was named the PJHL Stobbs Division Rookie of the Year last season with the Dresden Kings, a year after being drafted in the 6th round of the OHL Draft by the London Knights, while playing for the Chatham-Kent Cyclones.

This season, Brochu has appeared in 8 of the London Knights first 12 games, and sits among league leaders for goalie statistics. He’s third in goals against average sitting at 2.67. Brochu also has a 0.898 save percentage and one shutout this season.

Brochu made 24 saves Sunday in a 6-2 win for London over the Niagara Ice Dogs.