Bryce Van Brabant (born November 12, 1991) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) 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 ...

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 hock ...

player. He played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(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, and ...

. 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 on ...

, helping the team reach its first appearance in the national championship game.

Playing career

A native of Morinville,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, 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. Van Brabant played three seasons of Junior A hockey for the Spruce Grove Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (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. Penaltie ...

. Van Brabant turned to college hockey after his junior career and spent three seasons with the

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 student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA). Quinnipiac reached the 2013 Frozen Four where Van Brabant's defensive play attracted interest from numerous

(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 research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

by a 4–0 score. 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 of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

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 ( ...

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 i ...

. 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

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. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

, becoming the first Quinnipiac alumnus to appear in the NHL. Over the course of 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 at the conclusion of 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 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