Drafted in the fourth round, 84th overall by the Kamloops Blazers in 2015, Brodi Stuart has played every one of his 203 WHL games in a Blazer uniform. According to his dad John, Brodi “bleeds blue and orange.”
Brodi, born and raised in the small town of Squamish B.C., moved to Langley with his family when he was eight years old.
“His older brother [Levi] is five years older and he played high-level hockey as well,” John explained. “When we moved to Langley, in a way, it was for him to go to an academy and for them to both get a higher level of hockey and experience of coaching.”
“He was lucky at a young age to get some really good coaching at the Delta Hockey Academy by Yogi [Jaroslav] Svejkovský, he really taught Brodi the skill of the game.”
That skill was, in part, complemented by the incessant grit of the WHL’s all-time winningest coach, Don Hay. John spent 19 years with the Vancouver Giants where Hay won a Memorial Cup in 2007 before returning to the Blazers in 2014.
“Don Hay always told him that if you want to be successful in this game, you have to learn the defensive part of the game.”
If there wasn’t enough instruction to absorb on the ice, John could always provide his own unique perspective. Growing up playing both baseball and fastpitch, John fell in love with the game and began coaching in 2002. His journey has taken him from B.C.’s junior fastpitch team to his current role as head coach of Canada’s Men’s national softball team, a role he’s occupied since October of 2014.
From Squamish to Vancouver to the international stage, John’s voyage through the coaching ranks has seen his passport collect its share of stamps. “That’s been the best part for me, I’ve got to travel all over Canada, the United States, and the world. We were in Prague last June for the worlds. I’ve been to Columbia, Argentina, New Zealand, the Dominican Republic and all over the U.S. and Canada. I’ve been blessed that way for sure, it’s been outstanding.”
These days, home base for the Stuarts is the quaint town of Merritt where John also serves as the Director of Hockey Operations for the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials.
Needless to say, there were a few different sports to choose from growing up, so how did Brodi wind up on the ice?
“Brodi’s played everything — soccer, basketball, baseball — and to be honest, baseball was just way too boring for him, it was way too boring and slow.” John holds no resentment, but the much-faster pace of hockey now carries a double-meaning for the family.
“My wife [Barb] and I were talking about it on the way up here, just how we can’t believe that it’s been basically five years since Brodi was drafted by Kamloops.”
Three seasons and 203 regular-season games later, number 17 has been an invariable presence in the organization. The aforementioned Hay ran the bench for Brodi’s first season in 2017-18 before Serge Lajoie took the reigns the following campaign.
Shaun Clouston — the Blazers’ current bench boss and Brodi’s third head coach as a Blazer — has picked up on the veteran’s steady investments into the team.
“I think night in, night out, he’s one of the hardest working guys and it’s nice to see the hard work pay off. I’m sure it felt good for him to score one.”
Those comments came on the heels of Kamloops’ 6-3 victory over the Prince George Cougars on February 29th. Two nights later, Brodi scored his ninth of the season in a 4-2 win over the Giants.
After posting at least 15 goals in each of the previous two campaigns, goals have been few and far between this season, but Clouston insists the offensive production is still there.
“He’s had a pretty solid second half, it’s coming for him. I don’t know if it’s still the case a week or two ago [when] we were looking at lots of different things, [but] at that point I think he was tied or leading our team in even-strength assists. So yeah, the puck hasn’t gone in the net quite as much as we’d like, but in the second half, I think he’s trending upwards.”
As a coach himself, John notes the significance of encouragement. “The coaches have been awesome, they’ve instilled a lot of confidence in him and they’re always willing to talk to him, give him advice and let him know that he’s a valuable part of the team. He’s very appreciative of that, as am I.”
Thanks to his work ethic and versatility, that appreciation has been reciprocated by the Blazers. The soon to be 20-year old shifted from wing to center during the season and it’s been a natural fit.
“I was pretty comfortable. I think it was just getting used to the little things, I played a bit last year so I feel really comfortable playing it now.”
“That’s just Brodi to a tee,” John added. “He’s a team-first guy and he wants this team to go on a long run in the playoffs and I think they’re capable of it.”
Fresh off clinching their first B.C. Division title since 2011-12, the Blazers are locked into the postseason for the second consecutive season. Brodi, a member of this season’s leadership group, believes that last year’s experience between the tiebreaker and six-game series against Victoria was an excellent learning curve for the young team.
“I think it’s huge. Last year, we got to feel what it’s like and it’s tough to lose there. I think this team has a great feel and we know what we need to do to get there. I think we’re ready for it.”
In the meantime, it’s one day and one game at a time. “I think it’s just kind of that message — getting ready for playoffs, treating every game like it’s a playoff game. We want to come out hard, but we also want to stick to our structure and stick to our game. [We want to] focus on our D-zone first and then that will lead to offense.”
Through the ups and downs of Brodi’s junior career, John says he’s learned where and when to pick his spots when offering that extra bit of encouragement.
“He’s pretty laid back with me,” Brodi adds. “He just shows me support and if he knows I’m struggling, he’s there to just help me out. He’s pretty supportive in that way.”
For John, it’s all about the big picture.
“The travel and what these kids go through — I’ve told Brodi you’ll never play in a tougher league than the Western Hockey League, just with the travel by bus to Prince George, to Manitoba, three games in three nights, school — it’s just incredible and it takes a lot of perseverance to be successful at it.”
“At the end of the day, the biggest question I ask Brodi is ‘are you still having fun playing?’ He wants to play his 20-year old year and he wants to play it here in Kamloops, he wants to start and finish his career here.”
