SERBY’S SUNDAY Q&A WITH ... Jonny BRODZINSKI
After controversial easily takes N.J. state title with Manasquan cheering on
Rangers center Jonny Brodzinski takes a shot at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: The Post has obtained a copy of a letter you wrote to yourself in high school:
“Dear, Jonny Brodzinski it is March 3, 2011
“I’m writing this paper for an English project and I am writing it to myself in the future. Hopefully you have a lot of money and a good job or maybe playing in the NHL. Or still going to college. Hopefully you found a pretty hot chick and have been dating her. This week we just beat Osseo in the semi final game and I had a goal and two assists. It was the game winner and I was extremely sick that day. We play Maple Grove on Friday, March 5, 2011 to go to the state tourney for my 3rd strait year. Right now I have 55 points in the playoffs and reg reason combined. Should have a few more but what ever. :) peace out old jonny
“Jonny Brodzinski”
Without me showing it to you, tell me what you remember about it.
A: (Smile) I said that I hope I’d be pretty much exactly where I was right now — playing hockey, have a family, doing what I love still and ... pretty cool.
Q: The Post has learned your first-grade teacher, Mrs. Vansanten, was your favorite?
A: They would sing the song “Johnny Angel” to me. She would just put me in the middle of the room, and then all the girls would sing “Johnny Angel.” It’s crazy (laugh), but she’s my favorite teacher ever, and God bless her, she still contacts me to this day.
Q: The Post has learned about your disdain for meatloaf.
A: (Laugh). Growing up, I would eat everything, but the only thing that I didn’t like was meatloaf. That’s funny (smile). So every time I was playing baseball or playing hockey, my mom would just say, “If you don’t hit a home run or if you don’t get a couple of base hits, or if you don’t score a goal, I’m making meatloaf tonight.” So that was like the big punishment (smile).
Q: Apparently you hit a big home run.
A: Yeah, it was at the very end of the game and I was coming up to bat, and she just said, “We’re making meatloaf tonight if you don’t get a hit,” and I ended up hitting a home run.
Q: What is the biggest obstacle or adversity you’ve overcome?
A: I would say just so many coaching turnovers for me in my career. Just having to prove myself over and over to different head coaches. You don’t really understand how hard it is to gain trust of a new head coach. And then, you finally get it and he gets fired. Or, you finally get it and you go to a different team.
I’d say that’s probably the biggest thing is just getting that comfortability with the coach to where he understands who you are as a player and he trusts you.
Q: You’ve been be involved in 85 transactions.
A: Yeah. That’s a lot of times. A lot of that is due to COVID, so it’s kind of a little bit skewed. Still, the hours of me having to cancel plans with my wife, we’d have a dinner plan or something, and we’d have a sitter all set up, and then I get called up because somebody’s sick up here and I have to drive down [from Hartford, Conn.] to New York City, sit at MSG and then right as soon as warm-ups are done, they’re like, “Hey Jonny, you’re good to go back home.” A lot of those, which is extremely taxing but it’s part of the job. If somebody’s hurt, I’m willing to do that job.
Q: Do you think you’re a fan favorite?
A: (Chuckle) I would say I’m a good story, but I don’t know about fan favorite, I think we got a lot of guys in here that score a lot more goals than me or maybe be better defensively.
Q: If you could beat any goalie in history on a breakaway, who would it be?
A: Probably Henrik Lundqvist. ... Because my very first game I had two breakaways on him, and I missed both of ’em (smile). Two breakaways my first NHL game he saved both.
Q: What was your career low point emotionally?
A: I would probably say it’d be after my last year with L.A. I really thought that I had what it took to be a good player with the Kings. I did everything that I had to, so many summer programs and just worked so hard to get to where I was, and I end up getting hurt [shoulder dislocation] my last year with L.A., I was out nine months for pretty much that entire season, and then when I came back from my injury, they said that they weren’t gonna re-sign me. The full year of grinding, getting back, trying to get to where I was, to be able to be in the lineup every night, and then, hear that they’re not gonna re-sign me and going somewhere else.
Q: Was that heartbreaking?
A: For sure, yeah. It’s just something that nobody wants to hear, but it’s part of the business. It makes you the player you are today because if that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have gone to San Jose. In San Jose, I went down, played in the American League there, which they brought me in and they were like, “We might need you at center.” I was only right wing coming in to San Jose, ended up playing center there, and then when I signed with New York, they were like, “Oh we really like ya ’cause you can play both, you can play center, you can play right wing.”
So if that doesn’t happen to me I’m just a right winger and that’s it.
Q: Tell me about watching “Miracle on Ice” with your father.
A: My dad actually was the captain for Herb Brooks at St. Cloud State. He played at the University of Minnesota for two years, transferred to St. Cloud State [1985, 1986] for two years, I played at St. Cloud State, [brother] Michael played at the University of Minnesota, he used to play at St. Cloud State, [brother] Bryce played at the University of Minnesota. So, four boys, two at St. Cloud [brother Easton], two at Minnesota, my dad split time. He was extremely emotional just ’cause of his connection to Herb and everything that they went through. Met Herb a bunch of times, was actually good friends with his son Dan Brooks, we would go golfing in the summer a bunch.
Q: What drives you now?
A: My family. I got a 4-year-old Lucy and a 1-year-old Olivia, wife Lauren, dog Leo. That’s my why, that’s why I do it.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Stevie Yzerman, my favorite player growing up; Mark McGwire, he was one of my favorite baseball players growing up; grandma Pudge.
Q: Favorite movie? A: “The Longest Yard.” Q: Favorite actor? A: Adam Sandler. Q: Favorite actress? A: Jessica Alba. Q: Favorite singer/entertainer? A: Morgan Wallen.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Pizza ... If I could have something every single day it would probably be Chipotle.
Q: What’s your golf handicap?
A: The past couple of years now with two kids it’s a lot different, but when I’m playing a lot it’s usually around like a 2.
Q: What is so great about being a New York Ranger?
A: There’s so many things ... playing in the World’s Most Famous Arena is probably the best one. Every time you step foot on that ice, it’s so historic, and the players that put on that jersey before you for such an historic franchise, it’s amazing.
There was no controversy in this one.
The Camden boys basketball team routed Arts High School, 69-50, in the NJSIAA Group 2 final at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J., on Saturday after widespread outrage that it was in the title game.
Manasquan High School, which had fought to be in the game after a buzzer-beater controversy, was in attendance at Rutgers on Saturday for the final and even gave Camden a standing ovation after it won, according to multiple reports.
In the semifinals, Camden beat Manasquan after referees incorrectly ruled that Griffin Linstra’s last-second shot, which had given
Manasquan a buzzer-beating win, left his hand after the buzzer.
The shot had originally been called good, but a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association representative met with the referees on court, and they subsequently ruled that the basket was no good.
Replays showed that the ball had clearly left Linstra’s hand well before the buzzer.
There was an immediate uproar, and Manasquan tried to protest the game with the NJSIAA and then appealed it to the Department of Education and the Appellate Division, but all sides denied Manasquan’s appeals to have the game replayed or to be declared the outright winners.
“One of the three officials counted the basket as beating the buzzer,” the NJSIAA said in a statement after the incident. “The three officials then met at half court to confer. A second official saw the ball in the shooter’s hands when the buzzer sounded. The officials then [waved] off the basket. Later, after being shown video clips, the second official agreed the basket should have counted.”
Camden coach Maalik Wayns said after Saturday’s title clincher that he was proud of his team, but he understood why Manasquan was so hurt about not being there.
“My kids deserved what they did. We’re 30-2, won some tough games, won games out of state, beat a lot of tough teams. My kids deserve every bit of this,” Wayns said, according to NJ.com.
“I understand Manasquan’s pain. Before I was a coach, I played sports. All we can do is control what we control. I understand the frustration but I have no control over that. They’re a great program, great kids and I’m sure they have a great coach. My heart goes out to them. It was out of my control but best of luck to them going forward.”
Manasquan was a good sport Saturday, but the team certainly expressed their frustration in recent days.
“I still don’t know what happened,’’ Manasquan head coach Andrew Bilodeau previously told The Post’s Dan Martin. “I wish I could tell you. The basket was ruled good. It’s clear to see on the video. The place erupts. The official on site meets with the three officials. I don’t know what took place.
“They just said, ‘No basket, game over.’ ”