ADAM BROOKS
Former Pats’ star debuts with Leafs
There were a million things spinning through Adam Brooks’ head after his debut Saturday night with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Near the top of the list was his time with the WHL’S Regina Pats, who’ve been instrumental in helping the 23-year-old centre realize his NHL dream.
“I think about them a lot,” Brooks said Monday from Toronto. “When John (Paddock) came in, he kind of revitalized my career. That whole staff and ownership group, I wouldn’t be here without them. There was a point in my career where I was ready to shut it down and move on from the game.”
Brooks reached a crossroads early in his five-year tour with Regina after having very little to show for a limited role through two seasons.
At one point, he almost pulled the plug.
“I was going to go play with my brother; he played for the Winnipeg Blues,” Brooks recalled. “My ( junior A) rights got traded halfway through my 17-year-old year, so I was thinking about going there at the deadline. But things didn’t unfold the way I thought they were going to and I ended up staying.”
Although he didn’t come right out and demand a trade, the Pats shopped Brooks to other WHL teams — including the Brandon Wheat Kings — but couldn’t come to an agreement.
In the off-season, Regina’s new ownership group cleaned house and hired Paddock as head coach/ GM. His arrival convinced Brooks to stick around and give it one more shot.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity to maybe get a fresh start and see how things would turn out for me,” he said. “I think that was the right decision.”
Was it ever.
After scoring just eight times in his first two WHL seasons combined, Brooks erupted with a 30goal campaign in 2014-15.
But that was just the beginning. Brooks went on to average a league-best 41 goals and 125 points over his final two WHL seasons. Sandwiched between those two years, Toronto selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL draft.
“It’s something I look back at now and I’m almost thankful for the learning experiences I took out of that and the adversity that I ended up overcoming,” he said. “I think it made me a stronger player and a stronger person. It has helped me at the pro level, especially that first year when things weren’t going my way. If you just stick with it and keep working, things usually turn out pretty well.”
Brooks admitted it was initially a “tough adjustment” after he graduated to the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies, finishing the 2017-18 regular season with eight goals and 19 points in 57 games. However, his comfort level grew as the season progressed and he ended up becoming a key role player en route to the team’s first Calder Cup title that spring.
Brooks took another big step forward last season with 21 goals and 40 points in 61 AHL games before enjoying a strong start this fall (eight goals and 16 points in 20 contests).
The Leafs took notice of his progress.
“When you’re playing a bigger role with a lot of opportunities, things are going to go your way if you put the work in,” said Brooks, who’s enjoying his reunion with former Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe — the Leafs’ replacement for Mike Babcock.
“I definitely felt good about the way my development was going (in the AHL). This year, I started off well and to get this opportunity (with the big club) is hopefully another step in the right direction.”
Brooks has been back and forth between the Leafs and Marlies over the last two weeks on an emergency basis. They originally called him up on Dec. 17 and later that week took him on the road to New York, but Brooks didn’t see any action.
He rejoined the NHL club right after Christmas and finally made his debut Saturday in a 5-4 overtime loss to the visiting Rangers, seeing just under five minutes of ice time.
Brooks’ opportunity came due to a rash of injuries, including a scary incident Friday night in which teammate Ilya Mikheyev’s right wrist was cut by an opponent’s skate versus the New Jersey Devils.
“You never like to see that,” Brooks said. “It’s definitely not the way you want to get into your first game.”
That said, Brooks is determined to take advantage of an incredible opportunity. The wide-eyed rookie was still pinching himself Monday while he prepared for a road trip to Minnesota.
“It still feels kind of crazy,” he said. “When you’re a kid, this is what you always dream of. All of the effort you put in over the years and all the efforts your family and friends put forward in order for you to get here finally come full circle.”
It didn’t hit him until pre-game warm-ups at Scotiabank Arena, which is when he saw his parents in the stands wearing Leafs jerseys. Brooks was given the heads up about his debut one night earlier, so his family was able to make a last-minute trip from Winnipeg.
“I think my dad was more stressed out than I was (before the game),” Brooks said with a laugh. “After getting that first shift, it sunk in a little bit. I’m happy my first shift was only about 20 seconds and there was an icing, then I was off. It kind of let me get my feet under me a little bit.”
Brooks’ status with the Leafs is a “day-to-day thing” due to injuries. With no guarantee moving forward, he plans to soak it all in.
“It’s cool being around these guys and being in this environment,” he said. “I’m definitely not taking it for granted. I’m just trying to enjoy every day I’m here because you never know when this opportunity is going to come up again.”
In the midst of it all, Brooks hasn’t forgotten his roots. He remains one of the most beloved Pats players of this era and still has fans from Regina who reach out via social media to wish him well. Some of them even make the trip for his games in Winnipeg, easily identified by their Pats gear.
Brooks also stays in touch with members of the team — and vice versa.
Saturday was one of those special occasions.
“The whole staff contacted me the day of that first game,” he added. “It’s a city that I love, an organization that I love. I say it all the time — it’s a second home for me.”
It made me a stronger player and a stronger person. It has helped me at the pro level, especially that first year when things weren’t going my way.