KAMLOOPS — The Blazers solved their overage crunch yesterday without acutally letting anyone go.
Brodi Stuart was one of four overage players — the cutdown allowed only three.
In January Stuart suffered a season ending knee injury in practice.
It meant the end of his junior playing career.
Instead of casting him to the win, the Blazers created another place on the team for Stuart .
When the B.C. Division begins, hopefully in March, Brodi Stuart will take a place behind the bench as an assistant coach.
Stuart says he doesn’t see much changing in his relationship with the players, who were his teammates on the ice.
“I might have to give it to a few of them sometimes — just jokingly — but no I don’t think it will change too much.” says Stuart. “I think I’ll just be able to help out if someone has had a bad shift I’m here to help them out and just talk to them, because I’ve been through it for sure.”
In his three seasons as a player Stuart may have been one of the most underated and hard luck players —- but wants to be remembered for the contributions he did make.
“A guy who was respected on and off the ice as a good leader and a guy who works hard every single shift and every game. That’s one thing I take a lot of pride in is hard work. If I can leave with that I think that will be pretty awesome.”
Stuart played in 204 games over those three years —— there was one that stands out.
“The tie breaker (against Kelowna) was one of the funest games I had a chance to play in.” says Stuart. The crowd was just insane, and the atmosphere, it was definitely very memorable.”
Stuart still has a plan to return to the ice next season after aging out in junior.
But in the present, in his position as an assistant coach this season, he sees it as an opportunity that could open doors when his playing career is over.
“Obviously just focused on playing — wanting to be a professional player.” says Stuart. “But I think after my career it’s definitely something I’d be interested in with my Dad being a coach of a fast pitch team and my brother here in Merritt being a coach with the Junior A team — he’s the assistant coach here — it kind of runs in the family a little bit I guess.”
