Yesterday Troy Brouwer announced his retirement from the NHL. He’s been known on multiple teams but he had some fun years as a member of the Washington Capitals. No moment was cooler than when he scored the game winning goal at the Winter Classic at Nationals Park.
Brouwer was acquired by the Capitals in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks (where he won the Stanley Cup the year before) in exchange for a first round draft pick. That first rounder turned out to be Phillip Danault.
Brouwer spent four years with the Caps. He scored 18 goals his first year and only got better from then out out. He had 19 the second year. Then in 2013-14 he broke out with 25 goals and 18 assists for 43 points. His next season which turned out to be his last in the District was another 43 point season with 21 goals and 22 assists including that game winner in the Winter Classic.
Brouwer is currently 36. He was drafted by the Blackhawks in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He spent 14 seasons total in the NHL. After his stint with the Caps, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues for T.J. Oshie. Time is a flat circle.
Brouwer spent five seasons with the Blackhawks. After four seasons with the Caps, he spent two with the Blues, two with the Calgary Flames, and one with the Florida Panthers. His final season came in 2019-20 when he was on a PTO (professional tryout agreement) with the Blues. He had a goal in 13 games before COVID shortened the season.
Brouwer was a fan favorite during his time in D.C. Look no further than that two fan tandem, the Brouwer Rangers. He had a beaming personality, was a hard hitter, and was always reliable when needed. He played a total of 851 games recording 182 goals and 363 points. He also laid out 2,047 hits. Wow.
Brouwer’s heroics in the Winter Classic came against his former Blackhawks team. It was a day I would never forget being at the park on New Years Day. His goal came with 12.9 seconds left in regulation to give the Caps a 3-2 win. It was a game that Eric Fehr and Alex Ovechkin also found the scoresheet.
Stars and Sticks wishes Brouwer a happy retirement. Feel free to come to the arena sometime!