Brandon Gormley
Canadian defenceman, 13th overall pick by Phoenix Coyotes in 2010.
Brandon Gormley is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, born February 18, 1992. The Phoenix Coyotes selected him 13th overall in the 2010 NHL entry draft. In junior hockey, he earned a spot on the QMJHL All-Rookie Team, was a two-time QMJHL Second Team All-Star, and won the President’s Cup with the Moncton Wildcats in 2010. He also represented Canada at two World U-17 Hockey Challenges, one Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and one IIHF World U20 Championship.
Gormley left Prince Edward Island at 14 to join the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame’s hockey program in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He spent two years playing midget hockey with the Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. As a 16-year-old in 2007–08, he scored 23 goals and 53 points in 42 games. That performance made him the first overall pick in the 2008 QMJHL Draft by the Moncton Wildcats. In his rookie QMJHL season (2008–09), he recorded 7 goals and 27 points in 62 games, earning All-Rookie Team honours.
The following season, he improved to 9 goals and 43 points, adding 17 points in the playoffs—the third-highest postseason total among league defencemen. The Wildcats won the President’s Cup and advanced to the 2010 Memorial Cup, where Gormley had three points in three games, though the team lost all three. He received the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL’s top professional prospect and was named a Second-Team All-Star. Heading into the 2010 NHL draft, NHL Central Scouting ranked him sixth among North American skaters, while International Scouting Services placed him third overall. Scouts called him “well rounded, but not dynamic,” praising his hockey intelligence and puck-moving ability.
After attending his first NHL training camp in September 2010, Gormley returned to Moncton. In his third QMJHL season, he posted 13 goals and 48 points in 47 games, earning a second straight Second All-Star Team selection. The Wildcats were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, and Gormley had one assist in five games. He then joined the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, for four games, recording one assist. In his fourth junior season, he played 26 games for Moncton before being traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes just before the January 7, 2012, QMJHL trade deadline.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1992-02-18
- Birth Place
- Murray River, Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 2
- Weight Lb
- 196
- Position
- Defence
- Shoots
- Left
- Played For
- Arizona Coyotes / Colorado Avalanche / Mora IK / TPS / Frölunda HC / Straubing Tigers / Dinamo Riga / Lokomotiv Yaroslavl / HC Sochi / Iserlohn Roosters
- Ntl Team
- CAN
- Draft
- 13th overall
- Draft Year
- 2010
- Draft Team
- Phoenix Coyotes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Gormley left Prince Edward Island at age 14 to play for 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 QMJHL Draft. He joined the Wildcats in 2008–09 and scored 7 goals and 27 points in 62 games, earning QMJHL All-Rookie Team honours. He improved to 9 goals and 43 points 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 and was named a Second-Team QMJHL All-Star. He finished the season highly rated for the 2010 NHL entry draft; NHL Central Scouting Bureau listed him sixth among North American skaters, while 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. He was selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes.
Reader's Guide
Gormley's professional career began with the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates, in 2012–13. He appeared in 68 games and ranked second among the blueline with 24 assists and 29 points. In 2013–14, he was selected as an Alternate Captain for the Pirates and was placing 8th in the AHL in scoring amongst blueliners before his first NHL recall on March 7, 2014. He made his NHL debut on March 10, 2014, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, featuring in 5 games with the Coyotes going scoreless. Approaching the final year of his rookie contract, Gormley failed to establish a first-team position and was reassigned to Portland to begin the 2014–15 season. During his first recall of the season to Arizona, he scored his first NHL goal on November 16, 2014, against Ben Scrivens of the Edmonton Oilers. He finished the season appearing in a career-high 27 games for 4 points. On July 31, 2015, he was re-signed by the Coyotes to a one-year, two-way contract. Unable to develop as the Coyotes had hoped, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on September 9, 2015, in exchange for the rights to Stefan Elliott. He made the Avalanche roster to begin the 2015–16 season but was used in a depth role and placed on waivers on January 7, 2016. After going unclaimed, he was assigned to the San Antonio Rampage. He was not offered a new contract from the Avalanche, releasing him to free agency on June 27, 2016. He subsequently signed with the New Jersey Devils, was traded to the Ottawa Senators, and later played in the SHL, DEL, and KHL. On January 25, 2022, Gormley was named to Team Canada for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Did You Know?
- Gormley was selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2010 NHL entry draft.
- He was named the top defenseman of the 2012 World Junior Championships and named to the tournament All-Star team.
More in Arizona Coyotes Players 1-24
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