No one will ever accuse Valley East’s Andrew
Brunette of letting fame go to his head. To people unfamiliar with this
young man, seeing him umpire this recent game in the Valley East Men’s
Slo-Pitch League, it would appear that he is just another guy
supplementing his income by officiating in this popular sport.
In reality, this is the very same man who, on
July 6, became Valley East’s first ever million dollar professional
hockey player when he inked a three-year deal with the Minnesota Wild of
the N.H.L. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, it has been
confirmed that it will earn Andrew between
$3.1 and $3.8 million dollars with bonuses factored in. The
contract also provides the 28-year old Brunette with the security he
needs to provide for a comfortable living after he retires.
(For the record, we’re not sure what kind of
contract Andrew worked out with League President, Larry Pederson to
provide his services as an umpire).
Brunette was born, raised and has since
established his permanent residence in Valley East. He played his minor
hockey in this community and in Rayside Balfour and then had an
outstanding Junior career in Owen Sound where he lead the league in
scoring in 1992-93 with 62 goals and 100 assists. He spent portions of
the next five seasons in Portland of the A.H.L. and left such a lasting
impression that he was inducted into the Portland Hall of Fame.
Brunette made his debut in the N.H.L. in
1995-96 when he played 11 games with Washington, scoring his first goal
on February 29, 1996 and recording an impressive 3 goals and 3 assists
in that short stint. During the past six seasons, he has played 297
games in the big league with Washington, Nashville and Atlanta,
accumulating 67 goals, 113 assists for 180 points. Most of that time has
been spent with expansion clubs which have had little offensive power.
Many of Brunette’s followers wonder just how his numbers would have
been if he could team up with a better club.
At 6' 1" and 210 pounds, Brunette is big
enough to handle himself in the rough going around the opponent’s net,
where he often demonstrates his tremendous scoring touch.
Minnesota Wild Executive Vice-President/General
Manager, Doug Risebrough, when announcing the signing of the free agent,
stated, “At the end of last season, we made a commitment to make this
team younger and more skilled. Andrew Brunette is a step towards
achieving both of those goals.”
The 2000-2001 season was Andrew’s best season
in the N.H.L. as he recorded 15 goals and 44 assists to place 2nd
in team scoring.
“I am pleased with the deal,” commented
Brunette during the recent Valley East Men’s Slo-Pitch Tournament.
“There was a lot of pressure being a free agent and not knowing where
I was going, but it’s part of the system. Now that I have the
three-year deal I feel I can concentrate on having three good years
before I have to go through this again. Right now I just want to get out
there and play ball with my friends and enjoy the rest of the summer.”
