Sheldon Brookbank facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sheldon Brookbank
Born	(1980-10-03) October 3, 1980 (age 44) Lanigan, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	202 lb (92 kg; 14 st 6 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	Nashville Predators New Jersey Devils Anaheim Ducks Chicago Blackhawks Ak Bars Kazan Lukko
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2001–2016

Sheldon W. Brookbank (born October 3, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a defenceman, which means he helped protect his team's goal. Sheldon played in the National Hockey League (NHL), which is the top ice hockey league in North America. After his playing career, he became an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL. He is now an assistant coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Playing Career Highlights

Sheldon Brookbank started his hockey journey playing for the Humboldt Broncos in a junior league. After that, he became a professional player. He played for teams like the Mississippi Sea Wolves in the ECHL and the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. The AHL is a league where players often develop their skills before joining the NHL.

He later signed with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He spent two seasons with their AHL team, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. In August 2005, he joined the Nashville Predators organization.

During the 2005–06 season, Sheldon played for the Milwaukee Admirals, the Predators' AHL team. He scored 9 goals and had 35 points. He also spent a lot of time in the penalty box, with 232 penalty minutes.

In the 2006–07 season, Sheldon was named captain of the Admirals. He also got his first chance to play in the NHL with the Predators. He played 3 games, getting 1 assist. That same season, he won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL's best defenceman. He was also named an AHL First Team All-Star. He led all defencemen in the AHL with 53 points that year.

On July 2, 2007, Brookbank signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Soon after, he joined the New Jersey Devils. He played 44 games with the Devils in the 2007–08 season, getting 8 assists.

In February 2009, Sheldon was traded back to the Anaheim Ducks. He finished that season with one goal and three assists.

During the 2009–10 season, Sheldon played 66 NHL games for the Ducks. He was known for his strong defensive play. He led all Ducks defencemen in a stat called plus/minus (+10). This means his team scored 10 more goals than they gave up when he was on the ice. In June 2010, he signed a new two-year contract with the Ducks.

Sheldon played a career-high 80 games in the 2011–12 season. He scored 3 goals and had 11 assists, which were his best numbers yet. On July 1, 2012, he signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. He achieved a major goal by winning the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2013. The Stanley Cup is one of the most famous trophies in sports.

After his contract with the Blackhawks ended, Sheldon became a free agent. He then played for Ak Bars Kazan in Russia and Lukko in Finland. He returned to North America briefly in 2016, playing a few games for the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL before ending his playing career.

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Sheldon Brookbank started coaching. On June 14, 2017, he became an assistant coach for the Rockford IceHogs. This team is the minor league affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.

In January 2019, he was promoted to an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL. He worked with the team until November 2021. Currently, he is an assistant coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Personal Life

Sheldon has an older brother named Wade Brookbank. Wade also played professional ice hockey. Sheldon is also the cousin of another former NHL player, Geoff Sanderson.

Awards and Honours

Sheldon Brookbank received several awards during his hockey career.

Images for kids

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  Sheldon Brookbank (right) on the ice during a game.