WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Winnipeg’ s Brooks Tearing Up Western Hockey League
By
Johnston Hall Photos by Keith Hershmiller
BRANDON, MB.-- Granted he’ s only 5-foot-10, 175 pounds and he wasn’ t drafted by an NHL team until he was 20-years-old, but Winnipeg’ s Adam Brooks has become a monster in the Western Hockey
League. The 20-year-old captain of the Regina Pats, who led the WHL in scoring last season with 38 goals and 120 points, was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round( 92nd overall) of the 2016 NHL entry draft. He spent the first month of the 2016-17 season at Leafs camp and then with the American Hockey League’ s Toronto Marlies for the pre-season schedule before returning to the Pats after missing the first 10 games. When he returned, he seemed disappointed. During his first interview in Regina, Brooks talked like a young man who truly believed he could have made the Leafs.“ At first there’ s obviously that bit of disappointment,” Brooks said.“ You never like getting cut from a team especially when you put a lot of work into it in the summer, but in saying that, I’ m super excited to be back here with the Pats.” Super excited indeed. Since returning to Regina, Brooks and linemate San Steel have ripped up the Western Hockey League. At press time, Brooks had 25 goals and 80 points in 38 games. That’ s 10-11 games fewer than many of his followers in the scoring race. Brooks is second in scoring to Steel, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound 18-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., who had 34 goals and 83 points in 38 games( at press time). The two of them even kill penalties for Pats coach John Paddock and they might be the most dynamic and dominant 1-2 punch in WHL history.“ He won the scoring race last year and should have won most outstanding player,” said Pats coach John Paddock.“ As a 16- and 17-year-old, he didn’ t get a real chance. It’ s just the way the pecking order went. When I came in, he didn’ t play on the power play and then, when I traded away a bunch of our older players, I got him on the power play and he’ s blossomed since. He’ s also a good penalty killer. A great 20-year-old player.“ However, because he didn’ t get much chance as a 16-year-old or 17-year- old, he’ s really only a third-year player in our league.” A former member of the Winnipeg Hawks Bantams and the Winnipeg Thrashers of the Manitoba Triple A Midget League, he played for Team Manitoba at the Western Canadian U-16 championship in 2011-12, Team Canada at the first ever Youth Olympic Games in 2011- 12 and then played for Team Canada West at the 2012-13 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. In City Bantam in 2010-11, Brooks had 53 goals and 90 points in 30 games.“ He’ s always been able to score,” said Paddock.“ That’ s what should give him the chance to be a good pro.” n
88 GAME ON 2016- 17 ROSTER DEADLINE EDITION