Brookwell completes Giants’ defensive corp
The Stena Line Belfast Giants today announced the addition of Cody Brookwell for the 2013/14 Elite League Season.
Defenceman Cody Brookwell turned pro in 2009 and has played all three years of his professional career for the Gwinnett Gladiators, affiliate of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).
Prior to Gwinnett, he starred for University of Denver, one of the premier University Programmes in the United States in the top Division of NCAA Ice Hockey, during which time he won a league title in 2008 and was selected to the All-Academic team in 2009/10.
In three years with Gwinnett, Brookwell played in 179 regular season games and 14 playoff games. He has 12 goals and 28 points in 3 seasons, with his best career point total coming last season when he tallied 6 goals and 12 assists in 68 games.
At 6′ 4″ tall, he is a huge presence on the blueline. His size and strength have made him a valuable commodity and the Giants Coach Paul Adey is pleased to get him signed in Belfast for the upcoming season: “I was looking for a big body for our final spot on the blueline, but not just someone with size. I wanted someone with size and the skill to skate on the big ice at the Odyssey Arena.
“Cody is a very good skater and very mobile, qualities that don’t always come hand in hand with a player who is 6’4” but with him, we have a very complete player.
“He blocks a lot of shots, and is very strong, so he doesn’t get pushed around in his own end. I can see him as a key to controlling opposing teams power forwards and having the ability to clear the front of our net, something that Todd and I both agreed needed to be addressed after last season.”
Brookwell completes a very solid defensive unit for the 2013/14 Belfast Giants joining Calvin Elfring, Jeff Mason, Rob Sandrock and the Phillips brothers, Davey and Kevin.
General Manager Todd Kelman believes that the strength of the defence is the first step in building a championship team.
“Cody is the last piece of the puzzle as far as completing a great group of defencemen. We needed someone with the size and strength to be that defensive defenceman that can shut down top lines and is committed to that aspect of his game.
“His coaches said there is some offensive upside as well, and Cody is still young and improving every year. Gwinnett were very high on him as a player and so were other coaches from around his league.
“I am pleased that Paul was able to find him and convince him to come to the Giants to be part of the new era here in Belfast. When we won the league in 2012, it was on the back of a very solid defensive unit and I believe that Paul has put together a group of guys that will again make us extremely solid in front of Stephen Murphy in net.”