On a toasty July Monday, things were cool and comfortable inside the super rink at the National Sports Center, as Bryce and Easton conducted the second Brodzinski Brothers Hockey Camp.
This four-day event gives mites, squirts and pee wees a chance to improve their game.
“It’s unreal watching these guys develop,” Easton said.
Bryce and Easton – who both starred at Blaine HS – choreograph the on and off-ice activities. Like the kids at camp, the brothers have their own puck dreams.
Easton skated for St. Cloud State and now plays in Texas for the Allen Americans of the ECHL.
“Hoping to advance this year,” Easton Brodzinski said. “Hopefully I do good enough to where I can improve and maybe join the AHL halfway through the season or something like that.”
Bryce just finished an outstanding career at the University of Minnesota and is now trying to hook on with an NHL team.
“I was drafted by Philadelphia,” Bryce said. “Now that I’m graduated I become a free agent in August. I assume that I’ll probably start in the AHL. I’d love to work my way up.”
Fun is good
For a few days the Brodzinski brothers put their pro hopes aside and focused on approximately 20 young campers, as they tried to convince them that hockey requires total effort but also should be fun.
Said Bryce: “Camp’s kind of designed to make kids enjoy hockey.”
“You just have to put your nose to the ground and really work,” Easton said. “A lot of the drills that we do seem repetitive, but I mean they’re all for a purpose. If you give it your all you’re going to get better at it. The games become easier once you become better through practice.”
“Some of the drills are fun,” said Henrik Wrubl of Elk River. “Coaches are nice. It’s kind of funny. We do some jokes. It’s fun.”
The Brodzkinki’s have hockey in their DNA and their roots in Blaine run deep. Johnny Brodzkinski – the oldest brother – plays for the New York Rangers.
“My dad played at the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud,” Easton said. “Kind of funny we’ve got two brothers at St. Cloud and two brothers at the U of M.”
“It’s really good to see kids with Blaine stickers on their helmets and see that’s where you came from growing up, worshipping the Bjugstads and all those guys that came through the program before us,” Bryce said. “It’s pretty cool to see these kids that want to come and be a part of the name and be a part of Blaine hockey and hopefully grow at the camp.”
