Julien Brouillette Explained

Julien Brouillette
Birth Date:1986 12, mf=yes
Birth Place:Saint-Esprit, Quebec, Canada
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:185
Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
Played For:Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets
Karlskrona HK
EC Red Bull Salzburg
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2007
Career End:2018

Julien Brouillette (born December 5, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets.

Playing career

As a youth, Brouillette played in the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Lanaudière.[1]

In 2007, he turned professional signing as an undrafted player with the Columbia Inferno of the ECHL going with the team into the playoffs. In 2008, he signed with the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL. He played there for two seasons and the team went to the playoffs both years. During the 2009 season, he played for both the Providence Bruins and Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.

In the 2010–11 season Brouillette signed with the Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL. On December 14, he was loaned to the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL and signed a Professional Tryout with the team.[2] On January 23, 2011, he was signed to a Standard Players Contract with the Monsters ending his contract with the Road Warriors. He remained with the Monsters for the duration of the season, posting career highs of 2 goals and 19 points in 49 games. Following the Monsters first round elimination, Brouillette was returned to the Road Warriors on loan to play in their final post season game.[3]

On July 11, 2011, Brouillette was signed to a one-year contract with the Hershey Bears of the AHL for the 2011–12 season.[4] In playing a career high 74 games, Brouillette was a fixture on the Bears defense, to post 7 goals and 21 points. In the 2012–13 season, his second within the Bears organization, Brouillette was reassigned to ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals, to begin the year as a flow on effect of the NHL lockout.[5] After 1 game with the Royals, Brouillette was recalled to Hershey and reclaimed his position to contribute with 7 points in 61 contests.

On April 5, 2013, Brouillette signed his first NHL contract, a one-year deal with NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, for the following 2013–14 season.[6] Midway through the season whilst with the Bears, Brouillette received his first ever NHL recall by the Capitals on February 6, 2014.[7] He made his long-awaited NHL debut the following night, providing a primary assist in a 4–2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Washington.[8] In his second game, Brouillette scored his first NHL goal, which stood as the game-winner in a 3–0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on February 8, 2014.[9]

On August 8, 2014, Brouillette signed as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets.[10] After competing in the Jets training camp, Brouillette was assigned to AHL affiliate, the St. John's IceCaps to begin the 2014–15 season. Brouillette would play the majority of the season with the IceCaps, however earned a recall to feature in one game with the Jets.

On June 1, 2015, approaching free-agency, Brouillette opted to leave the NHL and sign his first European contract on a one-year deal with newly promoted Swedish club, Karlskrona HK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).[11] In his only season abroad in the 2015–16 season, Brouillette captained Karlskrona and appeared in 52 games, contributing with 5 goals and 17 points from the blueline.

Brouillette opted to return to his native Canada as a free agent in the following summer. Unable to attract interest to sign in the NHL, Brouillette initially agreed to a one-month contract in the LNAH with Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5 on September 16, 2016.[12] He featured in 8 games with Saint-Georges before he signed a professional try-out deal to return to the St. John's IceCaps of the AHL, now an affiliate to the Montreal Canadiens on November 4, 2016.[13]

On July 16, 2017, he signed with EC Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL).[14] In the 2017–18 season, Brouillette as Salzburg's top pairing defenseman led the blueline in scoring with 12 goals and 34 points in 52 games. In the post-season, Brouillette helped Salzburg reach the final as Austrian Champions, before losing in game 7 to HC Bolzano.

Brouillette opted to end his 11-year professional career following the conclusion of his contract with Salzburg on April 24, 2018.[15]

Career statistics

Team League GP GP G A Pts PIM
2003–04Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL240007180440
2004–05Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL6571118611744823
2005–06Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL701042528691348
2006–07Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL681043535241238
2007–08Columbia InfernoECHL676111755130446
2008–09Charlotte CheckersECHL701118296760112
2009–10Charlotte CheckersECHL471320332370552
2009–10Providence Bruins30110
2009–10Hartford Wolf PackAHL211344
2010–11Greenville Road WarriorsECHL25111223810000
2010–11Charlotte CheckersAHL10000
2010–11Lake Erie MonstersAHL49215172071122
2011–12Hershey BearsAHL74714212430114
2012–13Reading RoyalsECHL 10002
2012–13Hershey BearsAHL 612573550330
2013–14Hershey BearsAHL 5110102022
2013–14Washington Capitals101120
2014–15St. John's IceCapsAHL 497111816
2014–15Winnipeg JetsNHL 10000
2015–16Karlskrona HKSHL525121732
2016–17 LNAH season2016–17Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5LNAH83474
2016–17St. John's IceCapsAHL57310131440000
2017–18EC Red Bull SalzburgEBEL5212223416193254
NHL totals 111120

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA. 2018. Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2019-02-14. 2019-03-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf. dead.
  2. Web site: Lake Erie to lose captain Liffiton at least six weeks to injury . . 2010-12-16 . 2010-12-21.
  3. Web site: Breakthrough season for Brouillette . . 2011-04-18 . 2011-07-23.
  4. Web site: Bears ink Wellar, Brouillette . LDNews.com . 2011-07-11 . 2011-07-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110930054206/http://www.ldnews.com/sports/ci_18457617 . 2011-09-30 .
  5. Web site: Defenseman Julien Brouillette assigned to Reading Royals . . 2012-10-17 . 2012-10-17 . dead . https://archive.today/20130630063109/http://www.royalshockey.com/news/news.asp?story_id=1839 . 2013-06-30 .
  6. Web site: Caps sign Julian Brouillette for 2013-14 . . 2013-04-05 . 2013-04-05.
  7. Web site: Capitals recall defensemen Julien Brouillette and Patrick Wey from Hershey . . 2014-02-06 . 2014-02-06.
  8. Web site: Ovechkin's 40th goal part of Capitals 4-2 win over Jets . . 2014-02-07 . 2014-02-07.
  9. Web site: Capitals blank Devils as Brouillette scores first goal . . 2014-02-09 . 2014-02-09.
  10. Web site: Jets sign Brouillette to one-year, two-way contract . . 2014-08-08 . 2014-08-08.
  11. Web site: Defender complete for KHK . . 2015-06-01 . 2015-06-01 . Swedish . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150601220224/http://www.khk.se/blog/nyheter/pressmeddelande-back-klar-for-khk/ . 2015-06-01 .
  12. Web site: Cool FM sign former NHL defenseman Julien Brouillette . enbeauce.com . 2016-09-16 . 2016-09-16 . French.
  13. Web site: IceCaps sign defenseman Julien Brouillette to PTO . . 2016-11-04 . 2016-11-04.
  14. Web site: EC Red Bull Salzburg. ecrbs.redbulls.com. de. 2017-07-18.
  15. Web site: Julien Brouillette ends playing career . circlingthewagon.com . 2018-04-28 . 2018-04-28.