Brent Pope (20 February 1973 – 1 November 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey player, and Managing Director of the

Cardiff Devils The Cardiff Devils () are a Welsh professional ice hockey team who play in the UK-based Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). The team plays at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay, currently known as ''Vindico Arena'' for sponsorship reasons. Cardiff' ...

in the

Elite Ice Hockey League The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level ...

. Pope was a financial consultant in his hometown area of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

and until his death he maintained an active freelance broadcaster career with the Olympic Broadcasting Services and the Olympic Channel.

Playing career

Pope started his professional career playing for

Cape Breton Oilers The Cape Breton Oilers were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team was the top minor league affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Oilers' organization relocated the team from Hal ...

and

Wheeling Thunderbirds Wheeling can refer to: Places in the United States of America *Wheeling, Illinois *Wheeling, Carroll County, Indiana * Wheeling, Delaware County, Indiana * Wheeling, Gibson County, Indiana *Wheeling, a populated place in Winn Parish, Louisiana wher ...

as a free agent, signing with the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

in 1992. In 1996, Pope moved to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

signing for the

. He spent three seasons with the Devils, helping them win the 1996–97

Ice Hockey Superleague The British Ice Hockey Superleague (BISL, also known as the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague from 1998 to 1999 for sponsorship reasons) was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Devised in 1995, it replaced ...

championship and the 1998-99 Ice Hockey Superleague Playoff Championship. He went on to play for the GB National Men's Hockey programme between 2002-04 at the World Championship level as well as various clubs in England and North America.

Post-playing career

In May 2007, Pope was appointed Cardiff Devils general manager after winning the Challenge Cup as Co-Coach,

. He spent time in various roles at the club, and replaced

Gerad Adams Gerad Adams (born May 3, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who was previously the coach of the Sheffield Steelers of the Elite Ice Hockey League The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally ...

as head coach in October 2013. Pope created the UK registered charity the Devils Community Foundation in October 2008 incorporating the Junior Devils development into the Senior Devils community outreach programme. Head of the DCF until 2013, Pope coached at both the England U14 & U16 age levels whilst overseeing the junior Devils development. In 2010, Pope completed his MA in Sports Development & Coaching at Cardiff Metropolitan University and in January 2013 became Managing Director of the professional Cardiff Devils. In October 2013, Pope became interim Head Coach for the Elite Ice Hockey League Devils winning over .600% of games coached before retiring from his position in April 2014.

Media work

Pope was a sports commentator and voice over artist. A

BBC Sport BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC BBC Television, television, BBC Radio, radio and BBC Online, online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadc ...

commentator for ice hockey at the 2006 Turin Olympics, 2010 Vancouver and Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Pope worked for the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) during the London 2012 Olympics commentating on Hockey, Handball, Table Tennis, Fencing and Water Polo. Pope commentated as venue announcer for the Wheelchair Rugby event during the London 2012 Paralympic Games. A Para Ice Hockey Commentator for the OBS during the Turin 2006, Sochi 2014 and 2018 Pyeongchang Paralympics. In January 2011, the Canadian/Brit commentated for the OBS at the Asian Winter Games Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in Astana, Kazakhstan. Pope commentated for honorary patron

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. As the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, he is fifth in the line of succession to ...

during the inaugural

Invictus Games The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event first held in 2014, for wounded, injured and sick military service personnel, both serving and veterans. The word 'Invictus' is Latin for 'unconquered', chosen as an embodiment of th ...

in 2014 for the Wheelchair Rugby competition. The event was hosted in recognition of injured, sick and wounded servicemen & women from around the world at London's

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a sporting complex and public park in Stratford, Hackney Wick, Leyton and Bow, in east London. It was purpose-built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, situated adjacent to the Stratford City devel ...

. In 2015, Pope commentated for the ISB (International Sports Broadcasting) at the Baku, Azerbaijan European Games and the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games on the Men's and Women's Waterpolo, Volleyball, Fencing, Beach Volleyball and Wheelchair Rugby. Pope was Head of English Ice Hockey Commentary for the Champions Hockey League in Europe between 2014-17 becoming Host of the CHL Centre Ice Online Programme in 2015/16. He covered a variety of sports as a commentator for the OBS Olympic Broadcasting Services during both the Rio 2016 Olympic & Paralympic Games. During Pyeongchang 2018, he commentated for the OBS's Global Feed service on both the Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Tournaments as well as the Para Ice Hockey Tournament during the 2018 Paralympics in South Korea.

Personal life and death

Pope was born in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

and held both a Canadian and British passport. He lived in Hamilton and worked as a financial adviser. Pope was a member of the Cardiff Metropolitan University – London 2012 Hall of Fame. Pope died of cancer in Hamilton on 1 November 2022, at the age of 49.OHL Mourns the Loss of Brent Pope
/ref>

Career statistics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pope, Brent 1973 births 2022 deaths Deaths from cancer in Ontario Canadian ice hockey coaches Canadian ice hockey defencemen Ice hockey people from Hamilton, Ontario Peterborough Petes (ice hockey) players Hamilton Dukes players Guelph Storm players Ottawa 67's players Cape Breton Oilers players Wheeling Thunderbirds players London Knights (UK) players Tallahassee Tiger Sharks players Florida Everblades players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Nottingham Panthers players Solihull MK Kings players Hull Stingrays players Basingstoke Bison players London Racers players Sheffield Scimitars players Slough Jets players Romford Raiders players Cardiff Devils players Long Island Jawz players New Jersey Rockin' Rollers players Ottawa Wheels players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Wales Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Ice hockey executives Canadian sports executives and administrators Alumni of Cardiff Metropolitan University Ice hockey commentators Canadian inline hockey players