Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The Calgary Flames just finished off an absolutely miserable year this weekend, but that doesn’t mean that everyone had a tough year. In fact, some players on this roster had very fine seasons, which were overshadowed by the struggled of this team and the Jarome Iginla trade.
One such player is T.J. Brodie. Brodie established himself as a true building block for this flailing franchise on the blue line. He had an exceptional year amid all of the struggles and negative press. His season was so good that it will be continuing on into the summer, even if the Flames aren’t attending the postseason party.
Brodie finished the season with 14 points in 47 games. Two goals and 12 assists don’t exactly scream “elite”, but it was a fine year for a player still trying to establish himself. The points don’t indicate nearly as much as Brodie provided, with his minutes steadily increasing as the year went on. He finished with over 20 minutes per game on the year.
Projecting as a very good puck mover from the defensive zone, some are expecting Brodie to become a top pairing defenseman for this club for the future. For a team in need of some building blocks, he has provided on. Which is why he’ll be representing Canada at the IIHF World Championships next month.
As of right now, Brodie is one of just two Flames suiting up for Worlds, which are set to begin on May 3rd. Chris Butler will be joining him in the tournament, donning a sweater for Team USA.
While a postseason appearance would have been preferable, there’s no doubt that it has to feel good for Brodie to be a part of Team Canada next month. It’s certainly some validation that he’s not typically used to playing for an organization like Calgary.
