Heat blueliner uses speed as equalizer
‘Undersized’ Connelly relies on skills, vision
I’ve always been the smaller guy, handling the puck and skating away from those guys and getting out of the corner
BRIAN CONNELLY
Brian Connelly has wheels. Always has. At an early age — partially out of necessity and partially due to physics — skating quickly became a priority since overpowering his check was never really going to be his first option.
“I’ve always been sort of undersized at every level I played,” said the five-foot-11, 185-pound defenceman earlier this week as he joined the Abbotsford Heat for the first time. “So, I’m pretty used to it. I’ve always been the smaller guy, handling the puck and skating away from those guys and getting out of the corners.
“I think obviously the skating and the vision is part of my game I excel in.” Want proof? After getting hung up at the Philadelphia Airport last Sunday, waiting for transportation to the American Hockey League all-star skills competition at Atlantic City, Connelly and former Rockford Icehog teammate Brandon Pirri showed up 10 minutes before the warm-up.
Not a great way to prepare for an ice time, but no big deal.
Informed that he’d be participating in the Reebok fastest skater com- petition, Connelly zipped around the rink and won in a time of 13.851 seconds.
In the process, the diminutive blueliner, who is now property of the Calgary Flames, beat out San Antonio’s Colby Robak, Casey Cizikas of Bridgeport, new Abbotsford teammate Clay Wilson, Cory Conacher of Norfolk and Connecticut’s Jonathan Audy-Marchessault.
“I was mostly just focused on not falling,” Connelly said, laughing. “It’s pretty easy, though. Just skate as fast as you can around the rink and see what your time is. “Pretty fun.” Yes, a pretty fun scrapbook item to a pretty overwhelming weekend for the Bloomington, Minn., native.
Connelly found out he was the meat in Calgary’s Brendan Morrison trade to the Chicago Blackhawks which, for him, meant joining Abbotsford from Rockford. After the AHL all-star festivities, he immediately reported to Rochester for a pair of Heat road games Thursday and tonight, then another clash Saturday in Toronto.
He registered five goals and 31 assists in 44 games with the Hawks’ farm club this season. Rockford was his only home since departing Colorado College in 2009 for professional hockey.
“I already had a two-year contract all set up in Rockford and signed this summer as a restricted free agent,” said Connelly, who was named Rockford’s rookie of the year after his first AHL season (2009-10) despite being undrafted.
“So, yeah, it’s a little different. You get used to their organization and style of play. I had a good time there, met a lot of good people. It was a good experience for me and helped me develop.
“It’s part of the business, but I’m looking forward to a good opportunity for a new team.”
A new team. A new organization. But at least there are hometown connections for him.
Connelly grew up a block away from Flames skating coach and fellow Bloomington native Barry Karn who taught him to skate when he was just a wee one and still works with him in the off-seasons.
Minnesota native Tim Jackman, another Flames connection, also skates with them in the summer.
“Yeah, kind of cool,” said Connelly. “I played hockey with his son growing up. We’d always do summer hockey skating schools with him. I’ve actually worked with him every summer.
“It’s kind of funny how things work out. Now, I’ll be working with him more during the season.”