Bruiser Brodie Brought His “A” Game:

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Bruiser Brodie brought his “a” game

by viper staff Added 2009-06-17

When Cameron Brodie first came to Vernon from Burnaby in a January deadline trade, people around the Wesbild Centre were speaking in hushed tones about the muscular defenceman who hails from White Rock. A typical reaction was, “Did you see that new guy? His shoulders are so wide, he has to walk sideways to get through door ways!”

Such statements were somewhat exaggerated of course, but Cameron soon was wowing fans with bruising body checks that left opposing players sprawled on the ice. Up in the radio booth, the oft-repeated refrain was, “when Brodie hits you, you stay hit.”

Vernon was his sixth BCHL team. As he puts it, “I was in Surrey for a bit, and then I spent a good year in Langley. Next, I was in Trail for two years, which I enjoyed. Finally, my 20-year old year was the rockiest. First, Trail traded me to Merritt and things weren’t going well there, so they traded me to Burnaby, a contender at the time. Burnaby’s season fell apart too, so I couldn’t have been happier to be shipped to Vernon. Looking back, though, I wouldn’t change a thing because I’ve met so many great people in each place.”

He fit in seamlessly with the Vipers: “The coaches told me my role was to be a rough, tough, but mobile defenceman who could put some pucks on net, and I was more than comfortable with that role. The Viper system was easy to fit into, especially because the players were so warm and welcoming.”

Despite playing for three different teams this year, Cameron had his best season offensively, as he chipped in with 6 goals and 18 assists. He also had some big goals in the post-season, including a game winner in game 2 of the Doyle Cup and two goals in the Vipers’ RBC Cup semi-final win over Kingston. Here’s how he describes the first of those two goals: “It was pretty exciting to score at the national championship. I didn’t expect much from that point shot, just a quick one-timer that I tried to put on net. Luckily, their D-man skated past and tipped it up, top corner. I was ecstatic, actually.”

He was reluctant to leave the ice after winning the RBC Cup. Just as he had done after the Vipers’ other playoff series wins, he joined his mates for on-ice and dressing room celebrations. Then, with his cell phone he circled the ice and finally settled on the players’ bench, sharing the moment with friends and family. Perhaps, too, he wanted to milk a few more moments from his junior hockey career. After all, not many players get to close their junior days with a national title.

A nationally ranked rugby player, Cameron chose hockey because it promised a chance of a subsidized education. That choice paid off when his successes with the Vipers drew the attention of Colgate University. This fall, he will head to Colgate’s campus in upstate New York to play for the Raiders. He’ll go up against James Kerr’s Princeton Tigers and Scott Zurevinski’s Quinnipiac Bobcats, among others. At Colgate, says Cameron, “they want me to step right into their lineup in pretty much the same role as in the BCHL, to play physically and move the puck well. They say I’ll get some power play time.”

When pressed, Cameron agreed to provide the following advice for players who’ve been plugging away without team success or without getting a scholarship offer: “ just never give up, no matter what kind of situation you’re in, no matter where you play. Just play your hardest and as well as you can; just give everything you’ve got, because you never know who might be watching that game.”

Cameron has the size (6’1”, 215 lbs.) and the skill set to play pro hockey if he wishes. And he’s tough, too, as shown by his gutsy performances during the last six weeks of the season. A blocked shot in the fourth game of the Salmon Arm series led to a cracked bone in his foot. He was unable to play for two games, but then came back for the remainder of the playoffs, broken foot and all. Team doctor Gavin Smart found a way to anaesthetize Cameron’s foot so that the hard-hitting defenceman could skate. After the final game in the Salmon Arm series, the players stood and cheered him in the dressing room.

Cameron Brodie had a relatively brief career with the Vipers, but he made a huge impact. He will be hard to replace.

This series is about the Vipers’ departing heroes. In subsequent weeks, look for stories about, Mike Leidl, Ryan Santana, and Kyle Bigos.