Brandon Gormley

Brandon Gormley (born February 18, 1992) is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman currently playing under contract to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. During his junior career, he has been named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team, is a two-time QMJHL Second Team All-Star and won the President's Cup with the Wildcats in 2010. Internationally, he has competed in two World U-17 Hockey Challenges, one Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and one IIHF World U20 Championship.

Junior
Gormley left his home in Prince Edward Island at the age of 14 to compete with the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame's hockey program in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He played two years of midget hockey with the Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. In 2007–08, he scored 23 goals and 53 points over 42 games as a 16-year-old, after which the Moncton Wildcats made him the first overall selection in the 2008 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Draft. He joined the Wildcats in 2008–09 and scored 7 goals and 27 points for Moncton in 62 games. His efforts earned him QMJHL All-Rookie Team honours.

He improved to 9 goals and 43 points for the Wildcats in 2009–10 and added 17 more points in the playoffs, the third highest post-season total among league defencemen. Gormley and the Wildcats won the President's Cup as QMJHL champions, earning a berth in the 2010 Memorial Cup. He scored three points in three games in the national tournament, but the Wildcats lost all three games and were eliminated. Individually, he was voted the recipient of the Mike Bossy Trophy in 2010 as the Quebec League's top professional prospect. He was also named a Second-Team QMJHL All-Star.

Gormley finished the season highly rated for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau listed him sixth among North American skaters, while the International Scouting Services listed him third among all skaters. Scouts described Gormley as "well rounded, but not dynamic" and praised his intelligence on the ice and ability to move the puck. Gormley went on to be selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes.

He attended his first NHL training camp in September 2010 before being returned to the Wildcats. Playing in his third QMJHL season, Gormley recorded 13 goals and 48 points over 47 games; he was named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team for the second consecutive year. He added an assist over five post-season games as the Wildcats were eliminated in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs, failing to defend their league title. With his junior season over, the Coyotes assigned him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. He played in four AHL games, recording an assist.

In his fourth season with the Wildcats, Gormley played 26 games before being traded to complete his junior career with the Shawinigan Cataractes hours before the January 7, 2012 QMJHL trade deadline.

Professional
Gormley was assigned to the Coyotes' new AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates, to begin his first full professional season in 2012–13 season. He appeared in 68 games with the Pirates and ranked second among the blueline with 24 assists and 29 points.

In the second year of his entry-level contract, Gormley remained with the Pirates, quickly assuming leadership responsibilities to be selected as an Alternate Captain for the 2013–14 season. Gormley was used heavily in all situations with the Pirates, and was placing 8th in the AHL in scoring amongst blueliners, before he received his first NHL recall by Phoenix on March 7, 2014. He made his NHL debut on March 10, 2014, against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Gormley featured in 5 games with the Coyotes going scoreless before he was returned to Portland to finish the season with new career offensive highs in across the board.

Approaching the final year of his rookie contract with the Coyotes, Gormley failed to establish a first team position and was familiarly reassigned to the Portland Pirates to begin the 2014–15 season. During his first recall of the season to Arizona, Gormley scored his first NHL goal on November 16, 2014, against Ben Scrivens of the Edmonton Oilers. With the Coyotes languishing in the standings, Gormley was recalled on several occasions throughout the season, and although given opportunity failed to cement a regular position among the defense corps. He finished the season having appeared in a career high 27 games for 4 points.

On July 31, 2015, Gormley was re-signed by the Coyotes to a one-year, two-way contract. Unable to develop as the Coyotes had hoped and with his eligibility to waivers, Gormely was traded by Arizona to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for the rights to restricted-free agent Stefan Elliott on September 9, 2015. Gormley made the Avalanche roster to begin the 2015–16 season, making his debut with Colorado in a 1-0 overtime defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes on October 21, 2015. Used in a depth role, Gormley recorded his first point with the Avs in his 22nd game, registering an assist in a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on December 13, 2015. Unable to secure a position on the blueline, Gormley was placed on waivers by the Avalanche on January 7, 2016. After going unclaimed, he was later assigned to former AHL club, the San Antonio Rampage, on January 13, 2016. Gormley remained with the Rampage until the season closed, and on June 27, 2016, he was not offered a new contract from the Avalanche, releasing him to free agency.

On July 28, 2016, Gormley was signed as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the New Jersey Devils. In the 2016-17 season, Gormley cleared waivers and was assigned to add leadership to the blueline of AHL affiliate, the Albany Devils. Gormley contributed with 2 goals and 10 points in 35 games before he was traded by the New Jersey Devils to the Ottawa Senators for future considerations on March 6, 2017. Acquired to help out the AHL's Binghamton Senators, Gormley was dealt following the trade deadline, making him ineligible for a recall to Ottawa.

International play
Gormley represented Atlantic Canada twice at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He scored six points over five games in back-to-back years in the 2008 and 2009 tournaments. He moved on to the national under-18 team for the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and scored three goals to help Canada win the gold medal.

Gormley participated in the Canadian national junior team's selection camp for the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, but failed to make the under-20 team as a 17-year-old. He was expected to participate in the 2011 tournament, but was sidelined with a knee injury. The following year, he was selected to the team for the 2012 World Juniors, held in Alberta. During the preliminary round, he was named Canada's player of the game after scoring two goals and an assist in a 10–2 win against Denmark. He was named Top Defenseman of the tournament in addition to being named to the tournament All-Star team.