T. J. Brodie

T. J. Brodie (born June 7, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a fourth round selection of the Flames at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Brodie played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) prior to turning professional in 2010 and making his National Hockey League debut with Calgary.

Playing career
Brodie grew up in the small town of Dresden, Ontario playing minor hockey for the Dresden Kings of the OMHA Southwestern Ontario League. Later in his minor career, he played AAA hockey for the Chatham-Kent Cyclones of the Pavilion League.

Brodie was selected by the Saginaw Spirit in the third round of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) priority selection in 2006 out of the Cyclones program and spent the majority of the 2006–07 season with the Junior B Leamington Flyers where he was voted the defensive rookie of the year and named to the rookie and first all-star teams in the Western Ontario Hockey League. He also appeared in 20 games with the Spirit before moving up to the OHL full time in the 2007–08 season. He appeared in all 68 games for the Spirit that year, scoring 30 points as a 17-year-old. Seeking an offensive defenceman, the Calgary Flames selected Brodie in the fourth round, 114th overall, at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

He improved to 50 points in 2008–09 and was praised by his coaches as being one of the best all-around defencemen in the OHL. His season earned the attention of Hockey Canada, which invited him to their summer evaluation camp for the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Brodie began the 2009–10 season in Saginaw, but was traded to the Barrie Colts after 19 games as part of a four-player deal. The Colts finished the year as the top ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League, but were defeated by the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL championship series.

Entering his 20-year-old season, the Flames expected Brodie was ready to turn professional in 2010–11. The team praised the improvements he made to his game, and anticipated that he would join their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Abbotsford. A strong showing at the team's rookie camp, and performances in the main camp that impressed both his coaches and teammates, resulted in Brodie earning a spot with the Flames to begin the season. He appeared in three games, recording two penalty minutes, before being assigned to the Abbotsford Heat. Brodie established himself as one of the Heat's top scorers and is considered one of the team's top prospects, but was also criticized by Calgary general manager Jay Feaster for not respecting the quality of the AHL and was sat out of a game by his coaches as a result. While he did not challenge those complaints, Brodie's play was such that he was named the team's lone representative at the 2011 AHL All-Star Game. He finished the year as Abbotsford's leading scorer amongst defencemen, and tied for second on the team overall, with 34 points. He led the Heat in assists with 29.

Brodie began the 2011–12 season in Abbotsford, but an injury to Anton Babchuk led to his recall by the Flames on November 11, 2011. He scored his first NHL point by assisting on a goal by Lee Stempniak against the Chicago Blackhawks on November 18. He scored his first NHL goal nine days later against Niklas Bäckström of the Minnesota Wild when an attempted pass to Tim Jackman was deflected into the goal.

Career statistics
Statistics complete to the end of the 2010–11 season.