Brett Connolly

Lore & Background

Connolly was raised in Prince George, British Columbia, and played major junior hockey for his hometown Prince George Cougars. He was named WHL and CHL Rookie of the Year for the 2008–09 season after scoring 30 goals and 30 assists in 65 games, becoming the first 16-year-old to score 30 goals in the WHL since Patrick Marleau. He was traded to the Boston Bruins at the NHL trade deadline on March 2, 2015, in exchange for two second-round draft picks. He fractured his hand in his second skate with the Bruins but made his debut on April 3, recording two assists in a 3–2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. He re-signed with Boston on a one-year contract on July 6, 2015, but was not tendered a contract by the Bruins the following offseason.

Reader's Guide

Connolly's tenure with the Boston Bruins was brief and marked by injury. Acquired at the 2015 trade deadline for two second-round picks, he fractured his hand shortly after joining the team and played only a handful of games that season. He re-signed for one more year but was unable to meet the expectations that came with his high draft pedigree. After leaving Boston, he signed with the Washington Capitals, where he achieved career highs in goals and points and won the Stanley Cup in 2018, providing the primary assist on the Cup-winning goal. His time with the Bruins is remembered as a period of unfulfilled potential, as he never replicated the scoring success he had in junior hockey or later found in Washington.

Did You Know?

• He was traded to the Boston Bruins on March 2, 2015, for two second-round draft picks.
• He provided the primary assist on Lars Eller's Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2018.