Brendan Guhle Explained

Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:3
Weight Lb:192
Played For:Buffalo Sabres
Anaheim Ducks
Eisbaren Berlin
Birth Date:29 July 1997
Birth Place:Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Draft:51st overall
Draft Year:2015
Draft Team:Buffalo Sabres
Career Start:2016
Career End:2022

Brendan Guhle (;[1] born July 29, 1997) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Guhle was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round, 51st overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Junior

In the 2012 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft, Guhle was drafted with the third-overall pick by the Prince Albert Raiders.[2]

In January 2014, Guhle was a member of Canada's silver medal-winning Team Pacific at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge.[3]

In January 2015, Guhle participated in the BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, a showcase of the Canadian Hockey League's top draft eligible players for the 2015 NHL Draft.[4] In 2015, he was a member of Team Canada's WHL team in the CHL Canada-Russia series.[5]

Guhle was drafted in the second round, 51st overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.[6] On July 27, 2015, the Sabres signed Guhle to a 3-year entry-level contract.[7]

Guhle played four games with the Sabres during the 2015 preseason, recording two assists.[8] The team chose to return him to Prince Albert for the 2015–16 season.[9] When Prince Albert's season ended, Guhle was recalled to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.[10]

During the 2016–17 season, the Raiders traded Guhle to the Prince George Cougars.[11]

Professional

Buffalo Sabres

On December 2, 2016, Guhle was called up by the Sabres on an emergency basis.[12] Guhle played three games for the Sabres while the team's defensemen were injured; while Guhle impressed the Sabres organization during his time in Buffalo, the clause in the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement allowing for his emergency call-up also forced the team to return him to Prince George when one of their defensemen returned to health.[13]

Guhle began the 2017–18 season with the Rochester Americans and received a call-up to the Sabres on January 8, 2018.[14] He featured in 18 games with the Sabres, posting 5 assists, before completing the season with the Americans, registering 26 points in 50 games.

In the following 2018–19 season, Guhle continued with Rochester, earning a recall to the Sabres on December 16, 2018, making two scoreless appearances before returning to the Americans. He was selected to the AHL All-Star Classic and participated in the 2019 AHL Skills Competition where he posted the sixth-fastest time in the fastest skater competition in event history. Guhle ranked second among Rochester defensemen with 27 points in 50 games.

Anaheim Ducks

On February 24, 2019, Guhle was traded by the Sabres, along with a 2019 first-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Brandon Montour.[15] During the pause of the 2019–20 season, on May 10, 2020, Guhle was signed a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension with the Ducks.[16]

Eisbären Berlin

With his NHL prospects having stagnated within the Ducks organization, as an impending restricted free agent Guhle opted to sign his first contract abroad in agreeing to a one-year deal with German club, Eisbären Berlin of the DEL, on July 5, 2022.[17]

On December 20, 2022, Guhle retired from hockey for personal reasons.[18]

Personal life

Guhle grew up in Sherwood Park, Alberta and is a graduate of Archbishop Jordan High School.[19] His younger brother Kaiden, also a hockey player, was drafted sixteenth overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens.[20]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
2012–13Sherwood Park KingsAMHL32381134914510
2013–14Prince Albert RaidersWHL51010102951120
2014–15Prince Albert RaidersWHL725273236
2015–16Prince Albert RaidersWHL631018285350336
2015–16Rochester AmericansAHL61340
2016–17Prince Albert RaidersWHL1522410
2016–17Prince George CougarsWHL321316292260664
2016–17Buffalo SabresNHL30000
2016–17Rochester AmericansAHL61122
2017–18Rochester AmericansAHL50818262630002
2017–18Buffalo SabresNHL1805510
2018–19Rochester AmericansAHL505222734
2018–19Buffalo SabresNHL20002
2018–19Anaheim DucksNHL60112
2019–20Anaheim DucksNHL3044810
2019–20San Diego GullsAHL274101418
2020–21San Diego GullsAHL232101225
2021–22San Diego GullsAHL3734728
2021–22Anaheim DucksNHL60000
2022–23Eisbären BerlinDEL70006
NHL totals654101424

International

Awards and honours

AwardYear
WHL
CHL Top Prospects Game2015
AHL
2019

Notes and References

  1. https://media.nhl.com/site/asset/public/ext/2021-22/2021-22PronunciationGuide.pdf National Hockey League (NHL) 2021 - 22 Pronunciation Guide.
  2. Web site: Prince Albert Raiders. Poitras. Evan. Raiders Draft Day Recap. May 3, 2012. February 16, 2016.
  3. Web site: Prince Albert Raiders. Raiders' Brendan Guhle Drafted by Buffalo Sabres in 2015 NHL Draft. June 27, 2015. February 16, 2016.
  4. Web site: BMO Top Prospects Game. Gawdin, McNiven, and Guhle added to BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. January 19, 2015. February 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160224222859/http://bmotopprospects.ca/article/gawdin-mcniven-and-guhle-added-to-bmo-chl-nhl-top-prospects-game. February 24, 2016. dead.
  5. Web site: Sportsnet. Cosentino. Sam. Canada-Russia Series preview: WHL eyeing revenge. November 9, 2015. February 16, 2016.
  6. Web site: Die By The Blade. Boron. Andy. Buffalo Sabres draft Brendan Guhle with pick 51. June 27, 2015. February 16, 2016.
  7. Web site: NHL. Buffalo Sabres sign prospect defenceman Brendan Guhle to 3-year, entry-level contract. July 27, 2015. February 16, 2016.
  8. Web site: The Buffalo News. Harrington. Mike. Sabres notebook: Guhle gets another game, but suffers injury. September 30, 2015. February 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160224123309/http://sabres.buffalonews.com/2015/09/29/sabres-notebook-guhle-gets-another-game-hopes-to-stick-around/. February 24, 2016. dead.
  9. Web site: Die By The Blade. Goods. Jack. Sabres return Brendan Guhle to Prince Albert. October 13, 2015. February 16, 2016.
  10. Web site: Sabres' Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly questionable for Devils. 2016-04-04.
  11. Web site: Beneteau. Josh. Cougars acquire Sabres prospect Brendan Guhle from Raiders. Sportsnet.ca.
  12. News: Ferguson. Callum. Sabres recall defenceman Brendan Guhle from WHL. 3 December 2016. Sportsnet. December 2, 2016.
  13. Web site: Guhle short stint leaves positive impression on Sabres . buffalohockeybeat.com . 2016-12-10 . 2016-12-10.
  14. Web site: Sabres looks to Brendan Guhle for spark . buffalohockeybeat.com . 2018-01-08 . 2018-01-08.
  15. Web site: Ducks acquire Guhle, first-round pick from Sabres for Montour . . 2019-02-24 . 2019-02-24.
  16. Web site: Ducks sign Guhle, Carrick to contract extensions . . May 10, 2020 . May 10, 2020.
  17. Web site: Eisbären Berlin . Eisbären Berlin welcome Brendan Guhle . July 5, 2022 . July 5, 2022.
  18. Web site: 2022-12-20 . Guhle beendet überraschend Karriere . 2022-12-22.
  19. Web site: Sherwood Park News. Jones. Shane. Guhle shuffling off to Buffalo. July 2, 2015. February 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160311002602/http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/2015/07/02/guhle-shuffling-off-to-buffalo. March 11, 2016. dead.
  20. Kennedy . Ryan . 2020 Sneak Peek: Less is more for future stud Guhle . . January 14, 2021 . April 26, 2019.