To many hockey fans, the last name Brind’Amour looks awfully familiar on the back of a jersey, and for good reason. Skyler Brind’Amour, the son of former Stanley Cup Champion Rod Brind’Amour, was drafted by the Oilers in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft, and recently finished his rookie season with the Chilliwack Chiefs where he put up 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 52 games. Looking ahead, Brind’Amour, who remains a long-term project for the Oilers, will return for a second year in Chilliwack before starting his collegiate career with the Quinnipiac University Bobcats in 2019-20. Up until then, we expect him to get an increased role and minutes with the Chiefs for the upcoming season which will allow him to continue polishing his game. While he remains a long shot to make the NHL, the Oilers have plenty of time in which to allow Brind’Amour to develop and it’s a luxury that makes him a prospect worthy of following as he moves forward in his career.
Position: Centre — Shoots: Left
Born: July 27th, 1999 — City: Raleigh, NC, USA
Height: 6 feet 02 inches — Weight: 175 lbs [188 cm/79 kg]
Drafted: 177th overall (6th round) in 2017
Junior Team: Chilliwack Chiefs — League: BCHL
SCOUTING REPORTS
McKeen’s Brendan Ross summarized Brind’Amour’s game as such:
The son of former NHL star Rod Brind’Amour, Skyler was one player who immediately caught my eye at the OHL Cup. He’s a big kid with a great frame to build on and he owns some solid fundamental skills. At 6-foot-1, Brind’Amour has good length and he uses it as an advantage in his attacks. His puck skills, especially in traffic, are very impressive showing very little panic. His on-ice reads were excellent identifying soft areas and playing to them. Brind’Amour plays an OHL-style of game using quick touches and can extend possession time with his confident puck handling abilities. He came into the tournament as an unknown for me but quickly climbed my draft rankings.
Dobber Prospects looked at Brind’Amour’s game shortly after being drafted:
Skyler is the son of longtime NHLer, Rod Brind’Amour. This year Skyler spent his time with the US National development program but, he will be leaving them next year to join the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL. Skyler is 6’2” but only weighs around 170 pounds, so he will need to continue to gain some weight. Like his father, Skyler is a two-way forward that plays a checking role. He is a very smart hockey player in his own end, and always makes the simple hockey play. While Brind’Amour is safe in his own zone, he will need to work on his offensive game if he wants to crack an NHL roster.
Steve Kournianos also looked at Brind’Amour ahead of his NHL Draft:
He’s got the familiar name, but Brind’amour plays a different style to his father Rod, who won a Cup with Carolina in 2006 and played in nearly 1500 NHL games. Skyler is a strong-skating forward who is competent in all three zones and has potential for more, especially when you consider his size. Brind’amour is a cerebral player who hustles, competes and displays occasional periods of dominance. He doesn’t have breakaway speed but is difficult to slow down once he reaches top speed.
FURTHER READING
1) The Wall Street Journal recently posted an article about the children of wealthy parents having an advantage due to the resources they have access to, often in their own homes. Skyler Brind’Amour was included because of the work his father, Stanley Cup Champion Rod Brind’Amour, did to their home.
2) Reid Wilkins spoke to Brind’Amour after last year’s NHL Draft about his plans for the future, and how he looks at his famed father as inspiration.
3) The Edmonton Oilers featured Brind’Amour in their Future Watch profile series, leading up to his first season with the Chilliwack Chiefs.
4) Skyler Brind’Amour recently committed to Quinnipiac for the 2019-20 season after originally committing to Michigan State.
PRE-DRAFT RANKINGS
- Ranked #122 by ISS Hockey
- Ranked #157 by NHL Central Scouting
VIDEO AND HIGHLIGHTS
Brind’Amour scored two goals in an October game against Salmon Arm:
Brind’Amour with some wonderful assists against Coquitlam Express:
Last season, Skyler Brind’Amour spoke to the media following his first professional development camp:
Brind’Amour also spoke to Gene Principe about his dad’s role in his development, and what’s next in his young career:
SEASON STATS
| SEASON | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | +/- | PGP | G | A | TP | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | Carolina Jr. Hurricanes U16 AAA | Midget | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||
| 2015-16 | Carolina Jr. Hurricanes U16 AAA | Midget | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||
| 2016-17 | Selects Hockey Academy 18U | USPHL 18U | 48 | 19 | 31 | 50 | – | |||||||
| USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -10 | |||||||
| U.S. National U17 Team | USDP | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2017-18 | Chilliwack Chiefs | BCHL | 52 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 34 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
TOURNAMENT STATS
| SEASON | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | TPH Thunder Minor Midget | OHL Cup | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2015-16 | Team White | USA-S16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | Team Grey | USA-S17 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | – |
| 2017-18 | Chilliwack Chiefs | RBC Cup | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
NHL equivalency: 4.92
Stats provided by Elite Prospects
Previously:
- All About Graham McPhee
- All About Kailer Yamamoto
- All About Cameron Hebig
- All About Aapeli Rasanen
- All About Filip Berglund
- All About William Lagesson
waste of a pick, draft +2 and not even scoring at a ppg in tier 2 hockey while being older than most of the players.
It was a 6th round pick bud, calm down. Worth a shot on some bloodlines.
Gets a scholly with those numbers? Wow. Probably a really nice kid. Looks like a very average player who should never have been drafted.
He does seem like a stretch to make it. But I’m still cheering for him to turn in to some sort of defensive specialist. I imagine he’s the type to work hard in the offseason, he could put on some weight and figure out a few things.
One of the worst moments of my life was when his daddy lifted the Cup in 2006.
Plan the parade.
Original. ?You posted the same comment in the RNH thread.
Wasn’t meant to be original.
Perhaps one broken record begets another. The Oilers posted another losing season after so, so many ….
Wasted pick. Bloodlines? I’d like to see the stats showing whether or not a son of a nhl player is more likely than the average to be nhl caliber. I suspect a lot of picks have been wasted over the years based on bloodlines.