Brochu’s road to NHL goes through Fort Wayne

Brett Brochu makes a stop for the Dresden Kings – Photo by Kelsey Vermeersch/ CKSN.ca

After being overlooked in the NHL draft despite a sterling junior career with the OHL’s London Knights, Tilbury’s Brett Brochu is playing his first full professional season with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets.

In 14 games with the Komets, Brochu has a 5-7-1 record and a 2.87 goals-against-average. He received some attention a few weeks ago when a video of Brochu and another goalie fighting went viral.

The Komets are affiliated with the Edmonton Oilers

In his first season with London of the OHL in 2019-20, Brochu, 21, posted a record of 32-6-0 with a save percentage of .919 and a league-best goals-against average of 2.40.

During his sophomore season with the Knights, Brochu was awarded the Jim Rutherford Trophy as the league’s top goaltender with a record of 29-11-2, making him the first Knights goalie to win the award since former Komet Michael Houser in 2012. The six-foot netminder also won gold with Team Canada at the World Juniors. Last season, Brochu carried a record of 28-17-2 and went 9-1-0 in the playoffs with a goals-against average of 1.48, being named to the OHL’s second all-star team.

With 89 wins, Brochu graduates as the second-winningest goaltender in Knights history behind the aforementioned Houser. Former Komets Rick Tabaracci (1987–88) and Mike Torchia (1990–91) were also awarded the Jim Rutherford Trophy.

Prior to the Knights, Brochu played a season with the PJHL’s Dresden Kings and played minor hockey with the Chatham-Kent Cyclones.

During the 2020-21 season when the OHL season was cancelled due to the pandemic, Brochu spent the season in the American Hockey League and played one game with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.