Brian Elliott

Brian Elliott (born April 9, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who spent parts of 16 seasons in the NHL. Selected by the Ottawa Senators in the ninth round (291st overall) of the 2003 draft, he was the second-last player chosen that year and was not expected to reach the league. Elliott went on to become a two-time NHL All-Star, appearing in the 2012 and 2015 games, and played for the Senators, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Growing up in Newmarket, Ontario, Elliott played minor hockey for the Newmarket Redmen AA and York-Simcoe Express AAA teams. After going undrafted by an OHL team in 2001, he spent a season in Major Midget with York-Simcoe before joining the Ajax Axemen of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League for the 2002–03 season. His strong play there led to his selection by Ottawa in the 2003 draft.

Elliott then played four seasons at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as a backup for his first two years before becoming the starter in 2005–06, when he recorded eight shutouts in 33 appearances, was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, and led the Badgers to the 2006 NCAA National Championship. He signed with the AHL’s Binghamton Senators on March 23, 2007, and played eight games for them to close the 2006–07 season.

After attending Ottawa’s 2007–08 training camp, Elliott was assigned to Binghamton but recalled four days later to back up Martin Gerber while Ray Emery recovered from wrist surgery. He made his NHL debut on October 10, earning a win against the Atlanta Thrashers, but was sent back to Binghamton when Emery returned. He played 44 games there that season. Recalled on January 9, 2009, after being named AHL Goalie of the Month for December, Elliott had posted an 18–8–1 record with a 2.31 GAA and .926 save percentage, earning the starting role for the Canadian team at the 2009 AHL All-Star Game. He finished the season sharing duties with Alex Auld in Ottawa, making Martin Gerber expendable. Elliott was nominated for NHL Rookie of the Month in March 2009 and was named NHL First Star of the Week for January 18–24, 2010, and Second Star of the Week for January 25–31.

On February 18, 2011, as part of Ottawa’s rebuild, Elliott was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for goaltender Craig Anderson. He won only two of 12 starts with a 3.83 GAA, and Colorado declined his qualifying offer, making him a free agent.

Elliott signed a one-year, $600,000 contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, 2011. Teaming with Jaroslav Halák, he revived his career with a 23–10–4 record and a 1.56 GAA, earning a spot in the 2012 NHL All-Star Game. He signed a two-year extension on January 18, 2012, worth $1.8 million annually. In the 2012 playoffs, he took over for the injured Halák and helped the Blues beat the San Jose Sharks in the first round before being swept by the eventual champion Los Angeles Kings.

On May 19, 2014, he signed a three-year extension averaging $2.5 million per season. He was named to the 2015 All-Star Game as a replacement for Sergei Bobrovsky. On March 12, 2015, he tied Halák for the Blues’ franchise shutout record, and five days later he broke it. In the 2016 playoffs, Elliott started after a 23–8–6 regular season, leading St. Louis past the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks in seven games (making 31 saves in Game 7) and then the top-seeded Dallas Stars in seven games, despite being pulled in Game 6. The Blues advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time.