Brett Skinner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brett Skinner
Skinner with the Sioux Falls Stampede in 2017
Born	(1983-06-28) June 28, 1983 (age 42) Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	New York Islanders Amur Khabarovsk Iserlohn Roosters Tappara Modo Hockey Piráti Chomutov
NHL Draft	68th overall, 2002 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	2005–2017

Thomas Brett Skinner, born on June 28, 1983, is a Canadian who used to play professional ice hockey as a defenceman. A defenceman is a player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring goals. After his playing career, he became a coach. He is currently the head coach for the Fargo Force team in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Before that, he coached the Minnesota Wilderness in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and was an assistant coach for the Sioux Falls Stampede for five seasons.

Brett played professional hockey for eleven years, from 2005 to 2017. During this time, he played in over 400 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) for ten different teams. He also played briefly in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), the National Hockey League (NHL), and in other countries like the Czech Republic. The Vancouver Canucks picked him 68th overall in the third round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Brett Skinner's Hockey Journey

Starting in Junior Hockey

Brett Skinner was chosen by the Vancouver Canucks as the 68th player overall in the third round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Before that, he played for different junior hockey teams. In the 2000–01 season, he was with the Trail Smoke Eaters in the BCHL. The next year, 2001–02, he played for the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL.

College Hockey Success

From 2002 to 2005, Brett played college hockey for the University of Denver. He was part of two teams that won the NCAA national championships. The NCAA is a big sports organization for college athletes in the United States. In the 2004–05 season, he was named an All-American, which means he was one of the best players in college hockey. He was even chosen to be the team captain for his final year at Denver. However, he signed his first professional contract with the Canucks on August 30, 2005.

Stepping into Professional Hockey

Brett started his professional career with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL during the 2005–06 season. The AHL is a league where many players develop their skills before moving to the NHL. During that season, the Canucks traded him to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Even though he was traded, he continued to play for the Moose until the season ended.

Playing in the AHL and NHL

In the 2006–07 season, Brett played for several AHL teams, including the Augusta Lynx, Portland Pirates, and Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. Before the 2007–08 season, he was traded again, this time to the Boston Bruins. He had a great year with the Providence Bruins, scoring 47 points in 68 games. He was even chosen to play in the AHL All-Star game, which is a special game featuring the best players in the league.

On July 3, 2008, Brett signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders. He started the 2008–09 season with their AHL team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. When many Islanders players got injured, Brett was called up to play in the NHL, which is the top hockey league in North America. He made his NHL debut on October 27, 2008, against the New York Rangers. He played 11 games with the Islanders before returning to the Sound Tigers. Later that season, he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers and played for their AHL team, the Chicago Wolves.

On July 8, 2009, Brett signed with the Colorado Avalanche. He played for their AHL team, the Lake Erie Monsters, during the 2009–10 season. He scored 28 points in 73 games for the Monsters. He was called up by the Avalanche on January 22, 2010, but he did not play in any NHL games for them.

Playing Hockey Overseas

After playing in North America, Brett decided to play hockey in other countries. On August 12, 2010, he signed a one-year contract with Amur Khabarovsk, a team in Russia's KHL. The KHL is a major professional ice hockey league in Europe and Asia.

In the 2011–12 season, Brett played for three different teams in three different leagues. He played for the Iserlohn Roosters in Germany, Tappara in Finland, and Modo Hockey in Sweden.

Brett returned to North America and signed with the Allen Americans in the Central Hockey League on October 12, 2012. During the 2012–13 season, he was a top-scoring defenceman in the league. He then moved back to the AHL, playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins. He signed an AHL contract with them for the rest of the season.

On September 2, 2014, Brett signed a contract to play in the Czech Republic for Piráti Chomutov in the second Czech division. He finished his playing career there in 2017.

Awards and Achievements

Brett Skinner received several awards during his college and professional hockey career: