Entry-level contract ‘a big step’ for Logan Brown
Big centre will get chance to impress Senators’ top brass at training camp
It has been a whirlwind two months for Logan Brown.
On Friday, he took the next step on the road to the NHL.
The Senators’ first-round pick in the NHL draft in June — No. 11 overall — signed a three-year entry-level contract with the club. That’s another hurdle out of the way as the Windsor Spitfires centre prepares to take part in Ottawa’s training camp that gets underway Sept. 22 at Canadian Tire Centre.
Brown, 18, the son of Ottawa 67’s GM-coach Jeff Brown, will also take part in the four-team rookie tournament from Sept. 16 to 18 in London that also includes prospects from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins.
“It’s a big step,” Brown said on Friday in a telephone interview with Postmedia. “Going into camp, it’s not as stressful, I guess.
“It’s going to give me a little more confidence that they have that trust in me, especially going into the rookie tournament. It’s out of the way. It’s something I’ve been working towards, and it’s something I kind of wanted to get done in the summer. It’s great to get it done.”
The Senators liked what they saw in Brown and wanted him badly at the draft in June in Buffalo. Not only does he have good size, at 6-foot-6, he’s got excellent offensive skills. General manager Pierre Dorion flipped picks with the New Jersey Devils (plus gave up a thirdrounder) because the club wanted to ensure it could get Brown.
Dorion was pleased they were able to get the deal in place with Brown’s Ottawa-based agent Andy Scott of Octagon Hockey.
“For us to sign someone like Logan was important. It’s an important step in the direction of this organization having a player that is committed in the summer,” Dorion told the team’s website. “What we saw at development camp and what we saw last year, he’s definitely someone who is going to be a big part of our future.
“Wherever he plays, we feel he’s going to be someone who is going to be able to generate offence. Getting him done before camp starts also gives him an opportunity to play exhibition games and get a chance to get a spot on our team this upcoming year.”
This hasn’t been a quiet summer, by any stretch of the imagination.
Though Brown was born in St. Louis while his dad was playing for the Blues, he spent his summers in the Ottawa area, where the family has a cottage. Brown was working with Senators conditioning coach Chris Schwarz last summer, in the club’s gym. This year, Brown has been working with many of the Ottawa players who are in the area for the summer.
After heading to the Spitfires’ camp later this month in Windsor, Brown will return in time to take part in the rookie tourney, and then he’ll be there with the rest of the players for the club’s main camp. He suited up for Team USA at the world junior camp earlier this month in Plymouth, Mich., so there hasn’t been a whole lot of down time.
“There’s been a lot of camps and a lot of stuff I’ve had to go out of town for,” said Brown. “It’s been a pretty crazy summer.
“Whenever I’m in town here, I’ve been training with all the players, and I’ve been able to get access to all the stuff the pros do, so it’s been a big summer for me. I’m feeling really good.”
He believes he’s benefited a lot from being in Ottawa.
“It’s good to get a little more comfortable instead of coming into camp and everything being new,” Brown said. “It’s going to be just like another summer day, I guess.
“I’m definitely really lucky to spend the whole summer here and be in there pretty much every day.”
Brown said he’s keeping his goals realistic, going into camp.
“This is my first experience at the NHL level,” Brown said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what it’s like, seeing what I need to work on and seeing what I need to do to get to the next level.”
All of this has been pretty exciting for Brown.
“It’s something that I’ve been working for my entire life,” Brown said. “The draft was the first step, and now this is another.
“This whole summer has flown by. It’s crazy to think that camp is coming up (in Windsor) in a couple of more weeks.”
Dorion said they’re looking forward to seeing Brown compete.
“The first thing is go through rookie camp and, hopefully, perform well,” Dorion said. “From there, play with the big boys and see how it’s different playing against men than it is playing against kids. We definitely look forward to seeing Logan in some exhibition games once the season comes around.”