Bryce Van Brabant
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Bryce Van Brabant (born November 12, 1991) is a
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
former professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
player. He played in the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) with the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
. Van Brabant played three seasons of college hockey for the
Quinnipiac Bobcats The Quinnipiac Bobcats are the 21 sports teams representing Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut in intercollegiate athletics. The Bobcats compete in the NCAA Division I and are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, joining o ...
, helping the team reach its first appearance in the national championship game.


Playing career

A native of
Morinville Morinville is a town in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. It is approximately north of Edmonton along Alberta Highway 2, Highway 2. History Morinville was settled by Jean-Baptiste Morin, a priest and missionary of the Mi ...
,
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, Bryce is the eldest of five children to Dwight and Louise Van Brabant and learned to play hockey on a backyard rink in his hometown. He was an average sized winger until experiencing a growth spurt at age 15 that allowed him to develop into a physical, defensive-minded
power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...
. Van Brabant played three seasons of Junior A hockey for the
Spruce Grove Saints The Spruce Grove Saints are a Junior ice hockey team in the BCHL. They play in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada, with home games at the Thompson Family Arena. The team was originally a member of the AJHL and joined the BCHL in 2024. History Prior t ...
in the
Alberta Junior Hockey League The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is an Alberta-based Junior A ice hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. The 2023–24 season began with 16 teams, however 5 ...
(AJHL) between 2008 and 2011 where he recorded 47 points and 384
penalty minutes A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for an infringement of the rules. Most penalties are enforced by sending the offending player to a penalty box for a set number of minutes. During the penalty the player may not participate in play. Penalties ...
. Van Brabant turned to college hockey after his junior career and spent three seasons with the
Quinnipiac Bobcats The Quinnipiac Bobcats are the 21 sports teams representing Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut in intercollegiate athletics. The Bobcats compete in the NCAA Division I and are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, joining o ...
program. He played a limited role with the team as a freshman in 2011–12, but was praised by his coach in his sophomore year for having a break-out season, helping Quinnipiac rise to become the fifth-ranked team in the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA). Quinnipiac reached the 2013 Frozen Four where Van Brabant's defensive play attracted interest from numerous
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) teams. The Bobcats reached the national championship game for the first time in the school's history but lost to
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
by a 4–0 score. The
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. 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 ...
, and
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
each invited Van Brabant to participate in their summer development camps. He spent time with both Alberta teams before returning to Quinnipiac in 2013–14. Having scored nine goals in total during his first two seasons with the Bobcats, Van Brabant finished third in team scoring during his junior year with 15 goals, and first in penalty minutes with 113. His improved offence resulted in increased interest from NHL teams. As many as 20 clubs routinely sent scouts to monitor his play. Several teams hoped to sign Van Brabant upon the conclusion of his 2013–14 college season, and at least two of them promised an immediate jump to the NHL: the Flames and the
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
. Soon after Quinnipiac lost the 2014 East Regional playoff, Van Brabant opted to forgo his senior season and signed a two-year contract with the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
on March 29, 2014 for a projected $1.35 million per season. He made his debut on April 1 against the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
, becoming the first Quinnipiac alumnus to appear in the NHL. Throughout his entry-level contract with the Flames, Van Brabant was assigned to AHL affiliates, the
Adirondack Flames The Adirondack Flames were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team was based in Glens Falls, New York, and played at the 4,794 seat Glens Falls Civic Center. They were the top affiliate of the Calgary Flames of ...
and
Stockton Heat The Stockton Heat were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2015 to 2022. The team was based in Stockton, California, and was affiliated with the National Hockey League (NHL) Calgary Flames. The Hea ...
. Unable to crack the Flames roster, Van Brabant was not tendered a qualifying offer after his contract. As a free agent over the summer, Van Brabant signed a one-year deal with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL on September 14, 2016.


Career statistics


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Brabant, Bryce 1991 births Living people Adirondack Flames players Calgary Flames players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Canadian ice hockey left wingers Ice hockey people from Alberta Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) players People from Sturgeon County Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey players Spruce Grove Saints players Stockton Heat players Texas Stars players Undrafted National Hockey League players 21st-century Canadian sportsmen