Brandon D. Bollig (born January 31, 1987) is an American former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
player. An
undrafted
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
player, Bollig signed with 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 i ...
organization in 2010 after playing college hockey for
St. Lawrence University. He made his NHL debut in 2012 and was a member of Chicago's
Stanley Cup championship team in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
. 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, and ...
acquired Bollig in a draft-day trade on June 28, 2014.
Playing career
As a youth, Bollig played in the 2001
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...
with the St. Louis Blues
minor ice hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...
team.
Bollig played
high school hockey for
Francis Howell North High School in
St. Charles, Missouri, where he graduated in 2005 with a 3.4 grade point average. During his junior year of high school, he also tried out for the
St. Louis Jr. Blues Tier III Junior B team, but was cut. Bollig tried out again the following year and made the team for the 2004-05 season. After spending one season with the Jr. Blues and graduating from high school, Bollig moved up to the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictl ...
(USHL) to join the
Lincoln Stars
The Lincoln Stars are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Stars' home ice is the Ice Box on the former Nebraska State Fair grounds and adjacent to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
History ...
.
Bollig played three seasons of tier I
junior ice hockey with the
Lincoln Stars
The Lincoln Stars are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Stars' home ice is the Ice Box on the former Nebraska State Fair grounds and adjacent to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
History ...
of the USHL between 2005 and 2008. He appeared in 173 games for the Stars and recorded 37 goals and 36 assists in that time, as well as 593
penalty minutes (PIM).
He finished second in the USHL in penalties in both 2006–07 and 2007–08 with 207 and 211 PIM respectively.
He then attended
St. Lawrence University where he played two seasons of NCAA Division I college hockey with the
Saints.
After recording 13 points as a freshman in 2008–09, Bollig finished fourth in team scoring with 25 points and led the team with 83 PIM.
![BrandonBollig1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/BrandonBollig1.jpg)
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 i ...
lured Bollig out of university following his sophomore season and signed him to a professional contract in 2010. The Blackhawks assigned him to their
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Rockford IceHogs
The Rockford IceHogs are a professional ice hockey team based in Rockford, Illinois. They are members of the American Hockey League (AHL), having begun play in the League starting in the 2007–08 season. The team plays their home games at the ...
to complete the
2009–10 season; Bollig made his professional debut on April 6, 2010, and scored his first professional goal four nights later against the
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. The Rampage was primarily owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment throughout the team's existence. In 2020, the franchise was sold ...
.
He played the entire
2010–11 AHL season with the IceHogs, and remained in Rockford for the majority of the
following campaign.
Chicago recalled Bollig late in the
2011–12 NHL season
The 2011–12 NHL season was the 95th season of operation (94th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Los Angeles Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final four games to two to win the team's first Stan ...
to serve as a replacement for
enforcer
Enforcer or enforcers may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Comics
* Enforcer (comics), a Marvel Comics character
* Enforcers (comics), a Marvel Comics team
* New Enforcers, another Marvel Comics team
Film and television
* ''The Enforcer ...
John Scott, who was traded to the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
. Bollig made his NHL debut on February 29, 2012, 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. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
; he also recorded his first
fight, against
Luke Schenn
Luke Schenn (born November 2, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Schenn played junior hockey with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In his f ...
. He appeared in 18 regular season games with the Blackhawks. He was held pointless, but recorded 58 PIM.
In the
2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bollig appeared in four games in the team's first round match-up against the
Phoenix Coyotes and scored his first NHL goal on April 14, a game-tying marker against goaltender
Mike Smith in the second game of the series.
Bollig returned to Rockford to begin the
2012–13 AHL season
The 2012–13 AHL season was the 77th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 12, 2012 and ended on April 21, 2013. The 2013 Calder Cup playoffs followed the conclusion of the regular season. The Calder Cup was ...
. He appeared in 35 games and recorded 9 points for the IceHogs before earning a recall to Chicago, and his 157 PIM was second in the AHL at that time. He played 25 games with Chicago, again held pointless, and led the team with 51 PIM.
Bollig appeared in only five post-season games,
but was a member of the team when it defeated the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
to claim the
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
Stanley Cup championship. He was the first native of the
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
region to win the Cup.
The first regular season goal of Bollig's career came in Chicago's opening game of the
2013–14 season, October 1, 2013, against
Braden Holtby
Braden Holtby (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He previously played for the Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars of the National Hockey Lea ...
of the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
. In his first full season in the NHL, Bollig appeared in all 82 games for Chicago, scored 7 goals and added 7 assists.
The season was a transitional one for Bollig as he expanded on his a role as a pure enforcer and placed added focus on becoming a defensive forward on Chicago's
fourth line In ice hockey, a line is a group of forwards that play in a group, or "shift", during a game.
A complete forward line consists of a left wing, a center, and a right wing, while a pair of defensemen who play together are called "partners." Typicall ...
.
Chicago signed Bollig to a three-year contract extension worth $1.25 million per year late in the season, however the Blackhawks were forced to make deals to remain compliant with the
NHL salary cap The NHL salary cap is the total amount of money that National Hockey League (NHL) teams are allowed to pay their players. It is a "hard" salary cap, meaning there are no exemptions (and thus no luxury tax penalties are required).
Like many professi ...
in the off-season.
On June 28, 2014, Chicago sent Bollig to 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, and ...
in exchange for a third round selection at the
2014 NHL Entry Draft
The 2014 NHL Entry Draft was the 52nd NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 27–28, 2014 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The top three selections were Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl, going to the F ...
.
On July 4, 2017, Bollig signed as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract worth $650,000 with the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
. He was assigned to play with AHL affiliate, the
San Jose Barracuda to begin the
2017–18 season. After appearing in 45 games with the Barracuda, on February 25, 2018, Bollig was traded by the Sharks alongside
Troy Grosenick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a sixth round draft pick in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
.
As a free agent over the summer and into the mid-point of the
2018–19 season, Bollig announced his retirement from his 8-year professional career on January 16, 2018.
Personal
Bollig married Dannah Lakin on August 4, 2018 in Chicago, IL.
Bollig was cast as Will Cross, age 12, in the 2002 film
''Defiance'', notable for also including former
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
enforcer
Tony Twist
Anthony Rory Twist (born May 9, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played left wing in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues and Quebec Nordiques, and was a feared enforcer. Twist penned a foreword to the Ross Bernstein boo ...
in the cast.
Defiance (2002) IMDb.com
/ref>
Career statistics
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bollig, Brandon
1987 births
American men's ice hockey left wingers
American male child actors
Calgary Flames players
Chicago Blackhawks players
Ice hockey people from St. Louis
Lincoln Stars players
Living people
Milwaukee Admirals players
People from St. Charles, Missouri
Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players
St. Lawrence Saints men's ice hockey players
San Jose Barracuda players
Stanley Cup champions
Stockton Heat players
Undrafted National Hockey League players