The last time the world saw TJ Brodie with Toronto Maple Leafs threads, he was a teenager who lived in Chatham, Ontario and hadn’t made a name for himself in Saginaw, Barrie, or Calgary.
A clip of a young Brodies Snipe show has been making the rounds on social media since he signed a four-year $ 20 million deal with his home province’s club. accession Tim & Sid On Tuesday, to discuss his move to the Maple Leafs, Brodie reflected on the moment and off-season that had closed him off.
It turns out that TJ Brodie is pretty comfortable in blue and white.
(: @ Maple leaves)pic.twitter.com/DuwmrmTTzS– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 10, 2020
“I was 11 years old at the time – I think it was just a coincidence that this happened,” he said of his four-on-four target practice in front of the then crowd at the Air Canada Center. “But it was a great experience. It was pretty sweet to get to know the NHL players at that age and be so close to them on the same ice.”
After that first foray into the Maple Leafs, faithful as a boy and much more so over the years as the Calgary Flame, the next time the 30-year-old steps on the Toronto ice will be on the home team. It’s a move that wasn’t entirely surprising to the ice hockey world given the team’s original attempt to acquire the longtime flame in a mermaid Nazem Kadri dealership.
Brodie said the call from GM Kyle Dubas and Co. didn’t come as a big surprise to him either.
“I thought there was a good chance I landed in Toronto,” he told Tim Micallef and Sid Seixeiro. “And I’m happy to be part of them – they have a great team that are skillful and fast and I think they will be a lot of fun to play with.
“… I was hoping to go where they wanted me. I’m just grateful to be able to play and I’m definitely happy to be in Toronto.”
Though that first spin was in a jersey with no number in Toronto, Brodie revealed the digits that will adorn his sweater when he finally puts on the real thing: number 78, which makes it the first sheet to ever wear the number.
“I wanted to stick to 7,” he explained. “I was 79 when I was young so I didn’t really want to be that again. … It’s a number I can’t really think about how many people have worn it. I’m not really sure which number It’s me. I’ve only ever gone with what’s available and I thought I’d just change it. “
While many forecasters believe Brodie will line up alongside Morgan Rielly to make up for the team’s # 1 option at the back end, the new Leaf said a top pairing job was not a requirement for his Toronto entry.
“I didn’t really ask,” he said if he and the Maple Leafs Brass were discussing the possibility of him playing alongside Rielly. “I knew there was a good chance of getting into the top four and that’s good enough for me. No matter who I play with, I’ll do my best for the team and try to do everyone better.” . “
As his game will allow him, Brodie highlighted his tenure as a key puck mover in Calgary as a blueprint for what Maple Leafs fans in Toronto can expect from him.
The approach certainly worked well with the Flames – while Brodie only scored double-digit goals once in Calgary, his ability to bond with the club’s goal scorers allowed him to hit the 30-point plateau six times in his ten years and at 40 completing points twice and a career best 45 in 70 games in 2015-16.
“I just want to get the puck into the hands of the strikers as soon as possible,” he said, “and let them work with their skills.”
Listen to the entire interview with TJ Brodie about Tim & Sid via the audio clip embedded in this post.
