BROSSOIT BOUNCES BACK AFTER LANDING WITH JETS
Once Laurent Brossoit strapped on the pads for the first time at the age of 10, he felt right at home.
He didn’t need convincing, nor was he changing positions like so many other youngsters do in minor hockey.
Brossoit didn’t start playing hockey until he was 10.
Soccer was his sport before that, but once he tried it, he was immediately hooked. Given the family history, it was almost as though Brossoit was destined to be between the pipes.
“My grandpa and my dad and my three uncles were all goalies. It’s in the bloodstream,” Brossoit says. “I didn’t start skating until I was 10. I was playing soccer. I always wanted to play hockey, but I couldn’t afford to play both. I moved to the mainland of Vancouver after being born on Vancouver Island and there was more opportunity to play.”
Brossoit is expected to start in goal on Saturday as the Jets close out a three-game road trip against the Vancouver Canucks. The path to the NHL is rarely a straight one, though Brossoit did enjoy some early success despite his late start at the position.
“It’s funny, the first year that I played, I said to my dad, ‘I think I’m going to be in the NHL. I’m pretty good.’ And he said, ‘keep dreaming buddy.’ It was way too early to be thinking about that,” said Brossoit, without a hint of cockiness. “I always thought I was good enough.”
Brossoit’s dream became a bit more real as he was chosen in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the second round, 26th overall in 2008.
After appearing in 34 games during his rookie WHL season, Brossoit was chosen in the sixth round (164th overall) by the Calgary Flames. In just his second WHL season, Brossoit had taken over the starting job and led the Oil Kings to a WHL title and a berth in the Memorial Cup, posting strong numbers along the way.
The following year, the Oil Kings reached the WHL final.
Things were progressing for Brossoit, but before he even got a chance to play a game in the minors for the Flames, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for a package that included defenceman Ladislav Smid. Talk about getting an introduction to the business side of hockey.
“That was a shock. I was a pretty naive kid,” said Brossoit, 25. “All of the things an organization tells you, like ‘you’re our guy and we want you to be our starter in the near future and this and that.’ And then, they traded me. But it was kind of nice because the team that saw me the most (in the WHL) was Edmonton, because I was playing for the Oil Kings ... that was a nice vote of confidence.”
But it didn’t pan out. He struggled early in the 2017-18 season, finishing with a 3-7-1 record and a 3.24 GAA before losing his backup job to former Jets’ goalie Al Montoya, who had been claimed off waivers. That proved to be the end of the line for Brossoit in Edmonton.
That’s why there might have been some eyebrows raised when the Jets signed Brossoit to a one-year, one-way deal worth $650,000 as a free agent in July.
The price was right and the Jets had some limitations when it came to how much money they were willing to spend on the backup position, but the investment has proven to be a bargain through 35 games. He’s posted a 7-1-1 record with a 2.35 goalsagainst average and .935 save percentage in eight starts and nine appearances.
It’s tough to imagine Brossoit having a better start to the season, but not surprisingly, he’s the kind of guy who continues to push for more.
“I’ve always known that I’ve had this — and more than this — to give,” said Brossoit. “It’s just a matter of putting all the pieces together. I’ve always had the puzzle pieces, but I’ve never really had them connected together.
“I always had some physical superiority to my peers, a lot of strength and flexibility that a lot of other NHL goalies don’t have. I’ve always been confident in the way that I move around. It was just a matter of putting that mental game together and believing that you’re good enough to play at this level. Once that happens, the rest is just progress and improvement.”