Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Brickley playing his way into a spot at camp
With much of the preseason chatter touting how a young forward such as Quinton Howden, Rocco Grimaldi or Lawson Crouse could make the Panthers’ opening-night roster, perhaps their most NHL-ready prospect is Connor Brickley.
Brickley wasn’t a firstround draft pick like Crouse, and he didn’t jump from juniors to the NHL like Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Jonathan Huberdeau — two Calder Trophy recipients.
But the Malden, Mass., native has paid his developmental dues, playing four seasons at the University of Vermont and a full year with the Panthers’ AHL affiliate in San Antonio last season. He was the Rampage’s second-leading scorer with 22 goals and 47 points in 73 games to go with 66 penalty minutes and a plus-8 ice rating.
Brickley also had two points in three playoff games.
“Coming out of college I don’t think the reports were terrific, but [Panthers head of player development Bryan McCabe] told me what he can do, and from Day 1 he was a real pro,’’ said Tom Rowe, who coached the Rampage last year and will coach the relocated AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine, this season.
“He played a real physical style, which I was told he could do last year. We had him tagged as a fourthline energy guy, and every week and every month he got better and he played himself into a top-six forward and never came out of there. He’s a guy that’s going to be a real solid two-way energy guy that’s going to be able to put up points.’’
Brickley is making a statement in the ongoing rookie tournament in Estero, where he scored a goal in each of the first two games. The Panthers prospects practiced Monday and will play their final game against the Lightning at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Germain Arena.
“It’s what he did last year. He always came up with the big goals for us in San Antonio,” said Rowe, who is coaching the prospects. “It’s good to see him carry it over.’’
Brickley’s first priority is to earn an invitation to training camp, which is all but assured, and his second is to play his first NHL game this season.
“Playing at Vermont taught me to play the hardnosed, grinding game that helped build my foundation and of how hard you need to work every shift,” Brickley said Friday before departing to Estero.
“Then I was given a great opportunity by the coaching staff in San Antonio, and it helped me tremendously with my game on and off the ice. I’m going to try to take everything they taught me and bring it to this camp and see what happens.”
At 23 and a sturdy 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Brickley is five years older than Crouse, a year older and 7 inches taller than Grimaldi, and he had a better season in the AHL last year than the lightning-quick Howden, 23, who was slowed by a variety of injuries.
“He plays so hard every night; he’s just a workhorse,” Grimaldi said of Brickley. “He can go in there and have huge hits that change the momentum of the hockey game. … He’s just a good team guy, off the ice as well.”
Brickley, a second-round pick (50th overall) in 2010, didn’t break out offensively at Vermont, where he tallied 21 goals in 117 games, but he did improve his defense. Brickley will certainly get a long look, and it can’t hurt that Panthers executive chairman Peter Luukko has seen him play for four seasons at Vermont, where Brickley played with his son, Nick Luukko, a Flyers’ defensive prospect.
“I like his quickness, his determination, his physicality, his compete level, all those things,” Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon said. “He’s fun. We drafted him because of his aggressiveness.”
Brickley also has ties to the Bruins, his favorite team as a youngster, as his cousin Andy Brickley played 14 seasons in the NHL (four with Boston) and is the team’s color commentator for the New England Sports Network.
While young players such as Grimaldi, Howden and Vincent Trocheck may have a head start on Brickley, he will try his best to be in the BB&T Center on Oct. 10 when the Panthers open the season against the Flyers.
“That’s definitely my dream and my goal,” he said. “I’m just going to go through the process and see what happens.”