Laurent Brossoit is coming 鈥渉ome鈥� to Surrey with the Stanley Cup.
In June the NHL goaltender won hockey鈥檚 most famous trophy as a member of Vegas Golden Knights, and now he鈥檚 planning a public event in Cloverdale on Sunday, Aug. 6 鈥� his official 鈥渄ay with the Cup,鈥� as a player on the winning team.
At 11 a.m. Brossoit will bring the big silver mug to the Stetson Bowl at Cloverdale Fairgrounds, not far from where he played minor hockey as a kid.
鈥淚鈥檒l be there for the first few hours of me having it (the trophy),鈥� Brossoit said in a phone call.
鈥淚t will be special because I think it鈥檚 important to share it with the community,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 remember being that age and being around, you know, an NHLer, let alone the Cup, was always very exciting. So it鈥檚 kind of cool to be able to be part of that now.鈥�
Very excited that former Colts goaltender Laurent Brossoit is bringing The Stanley Cup to Cloverdale!!
鈥� Cloverdale MHA (@CloverdaleMHA)
Sunday Aug 6th 11AM Stetson Bowl. Save the date!馃弳
Born in Port Alberni, Brossoit and his family moved to Surrey when he was seven years old.
鈥淚t was just a work opportunity for my dad,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 play hockey till I was 10. So I started in Cloverdale, my first time picking up hockey was there, and I never looked back. We were in Surrey for the rest of my life up until, you know, these more recent years that I鈥檝e been in North Vancouver.鈥�
After begging his parents to play hockey, he headed for the net right away.
鈥淚 had a summer to learn how to skate and, and then I went straight into the rep hockey,鈥� Brossoit said. 鈥淢y grandfather, my dad and three uncles were all goaltenders, so I always knew as soon as I was allowed to play hockey that I would be a goalie.鈥�
He went to school in North Surrey as he got better and better at stopping pucks. Brossoit played minor hockey in Cloverdale for a few years before graduating to the zone rep team of Valley West Hawks, followed by a brief stint with the BCHL鈥檚 Cowichan Valley Capitals and five seasons of WHL games with Edmonton Oil Kings, from 2008 to 2013.
In the NHL Brossoit has played for Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and the Knights, along with several teams in the minor leagues.
鈥淚鈥檝e bounced around all sorts of places, around the block and back,鈥� he said with a laugh.
Now 30, for a return to Manitoba next season.
During the Knights鈥� Cup-winning playoff run, Brossoit was the starting goalie when Vegas topped the Jets in a five-game series in the first round. He also started in the second round against another former team, the Oilers, but was injured in a May 8 game when he stretched out to stop a rebound. Brossoit was replaced by Adin Hill, who started the remaining 14 games for the Knights.
Brossoit re-tore a groin muscle injured two months earlier.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 fully, fully healed, which is unfortunate, but you know, c鈥檈st la vie,鈥� said the goaltender, who began rehabilitation as the Knights continued to battle for the Cup.
鈥淚鈥檓 pretty much back in full training, so, I mean, 100 per cent is something that鈥檒l come within summer, it鈥檚 just tolerance-building at this point,鈥� Brossoit continued. 鈥淏ut I have my full function back and all that, so essentially I could be on the ice right now if I wanted to, but I鈥檓 just kind of playing it slow. There鈥檚 no reason to rush that.鈥�
With Knights having several options in net heading into next season, Brossoit opted to look elsewhere and landed with the Jets for another tour of duty.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 some opportunity in Winnipeg, and, you know, the familiarity goes a long way,鈥� he elaborated. 鈥淵ou know, they didn鈥檛 decide to rebuild and, so they鈥檙e gonna be a good team, so it just felt like a good fit.鈥�
He said Winnipeg gets a bad rep for being a place where NHL free agents are loathe to sign.
鈥淎t the end of the day it鈥檚 about the hockey, right?鈥� Brossoit said. 鈥淪o, obviously being in a place that鈥檚 warm and whatnot is a bonus, when you get those opportunities, but when it comes down to it, you really just choose the hockey opportunity.
鈥淗aving been in Winnipeg for three years, there are some beautiful areas,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a dry cold so you can bundle up and, you know, there鈥檚 a lot of good things about Winnipeg. The city really rallies around the team, and you feel like an all-star when you鈥檙e in that city because the team is, you know, such a big part of the city. So that feels great too.鈥�
It was a great feeling for Brossoit on June 13 when he hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in Vegas, a city known for big parties.
鈥淵eah, it was something else,鈥� Brossoit recalled. 鈥淢ost of it was in the dressing room which, in my opinion was the best part, with the champagne showers, and all the families came in and got to see the room. That was fun. And then after that, we went to a place called OMNIA (nightclub) which, you know, had Steve Aoki playing and they let us come on the stage and all that. But, to be honest, it was so jam-packed and, and when we, you know, went out into the public and everyone wanted to get a piece of the Cup, we started quickly missing the dressing-room atmosphere. But wherever we were, it was a great time.鈥�
In Cloverdale, some of Brossoit鈥檚 pals are helping him plan the Aug. 6 celebration with the Cup.
鈥淚鈥檓 still very close with those guys, and see them all the time, so I鈥檓 kind of back-and-forth between North Van and Surrey these days,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have a lot of family closer to North Vancouver and on Bowen Island, so I stay out here for a lot of the time, but to see buddies and whatnot I still head out to Surrey quite a bit.鈥�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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