Brady Keeper facts for kids

Brady Keeper, born on June 5, 1996, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a defenceman for HK Poprad in the Slovak Extraliga league. Even though he wasn't chosen in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft, Brady still got to play for the Florida Panthers. He is also a proud member of the Cross Lake First Nation.

Brady Keeper's Hockey Journey

Starting in Junior Hockey

Brady Keeper began his hockey journey playing junior hockey. From 2013 to 2017, he played for the OCN Blizzard in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). He was a really strong player! In the 2016–17 season, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player. He also won the award for the Top Defenceman.

Playing College Hockey

After his junior career, Brady earned a scholarship to the University of Maine. He played college hockey for two seasons with the Maine Black Bears. These teams are part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). In 73 games, he scored 13 goals and had 57 points. It was a big change, and he almost left after two weeks, but he decided to stay. In 2019, he was named to the Hockey East's Third All-Star team.

Brady Keeper in the NHL and Beyond

Joining the Florida Panthers

Even though Brady was not picked in the NHL draft, he signed a contract with the Florida Panthers on March 21, 2019. This was a big step into professional hockey! He made his first NHL game appearance on March 28 against the Ottawa Senators.

For most of the 2019–20 season, Brady played for the Panthers' minor league team, the Springfield Thunderbirds. This team is part of the American Hockey League (AHL). He scored 6 goals and earned 18 points in 61 games. Brady even played in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs on August 4, 2020. His team lost to the New York Islanders that day.

After that season, the Panthers signed Brady again for another year. During the 2020–21 season, which was shorter because of the pandemic, Brady played for the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL. He played 11 games, scoring 2 goals and getting 3 points. He also played one regular season game for the Panthers in the NHL. That game was on April 8, 2021, and the Panthers won against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Moving to Vancouver and Montreal

After three seasons with the Panthers, Brady signed a new contract with the Vancouver Canucks on July 28, 2021. This contract was for two years. However, during his first training camp with the Canucks, he had a serious injury. He broke two bones in his left leg, which meant he missed the entire 2021–22 NHL season.

He returned the next season, but he didn't make the Canucks' main team. He was sent to their AHL team, the Abbotsford Canucks. He played 35 games for Abbotsford, scoring one goal and getting six points.

On July 1, 2023, Brady signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens. He was then sent to their AHL team, the Laval Rocket. In the 2023–24 season, Brady missed three months because of another injury. This limited him to playing only 22 games, where he scored one goal and had four points.

Playing in Europe

On August 2, 2024, Brady Keeper decided to play hockey outside of North America for the first time. He signed a one-year contract with a team called HK Poprad in Slovakia. This team plays in the Tipos Extraliga.

Brady Keeper's Life Off the Ice

Brady Keeper grew up in Cross Lake, a community in Northern Manitoba. He is the very first person from the Cross Lake First Nation to play in the NHL. This is a huge accomplishment for him and his community!

Awards and Honours

See also

• Notable Aboriginal people of Canada