USING his playing days in Thunder Bay to earn a NCAA Division I scholarship to Miami (Ohio), Ryan Brindley built on that to further his career.
Not ready to hang up the blades after college, he went on to play over 500 games professionally from 1999 through 2007, mainly in the ECHL.
Playing for Rick Adduono, the South Carolina Stingrays won an ECHL Kelly Cup championship back in 2001, which he still recalls as one of his career highlights.
“We had a great team under Rick in winning that year,” said Brindley.
He also came close to glory late in his time in the ECHL where he captained the Florida Everblades to back-to-back finals appearances, but fell just short.
“Playing for the Everblades my last few seasons was something special,” he reflected.
It still bothers me we didn’t win a championship. We had great teams and that group really deserved to win a title.”
Upon retirement, Brindley opted to settle down in the Estero, Fla., area where the Everblades played and began the next phase of his time in the game, by founding his Southeast Elite Hockey program.
He stated: “My education degree from Miami really helped me understand how to coach most effectively. It became a real passion of mine and I feel very fortunate to help kids for a living.”
Using his experiences, Brindley has run hockey camps, skills clinics and has had teams competing in various tournaments while also guiding the Florida Jr. Everblades to either a State Championship or a league crown for seven consecutive seasons, from 2009-16.
His continued involvement also led to another opportunity, featuring working with another Lakehead product, Ryan McCormack, who too set-up roots in the southern U.S., following his playing days at the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
McCormack, remained in his area and serves as the director for the Huntsville branch of Total Package Hockey, a sport development group formed back in 2001. TPH currently offers their programs in 19 cities across the U.S.
“The hockey world is so small,” provided Brindley. “Mucker (McCormack) reached out and asked if I would be interested in the running the TPH Academy in Florida, and we hit it off immediately. It made a lot of sense for both sides and it’s great to offer the program in Florida.”
With that, Brindley’s days are full: “I’m on the ice and in the gym daily with out TPH student-athletes. I also oversee day-to-day operations and staff at TPH Estero as well as operations at our Fort Lauderdale Academy and all aspects of the Southeast Elite Hockey program.”
Of late, Brindley is also keeping an eye of the progress of his son Gavin, a freshman forward at the University of Michigan, who is also competing for Team USA at the World Junior Hockey Championship.
Asked what advice he has given his son, Brindley offered: “Have fun. Enjoy everything about being a student-athlete. Work hard, play hard and wake up everyday excited for the day ahead. He is having a blast at Michigan.”
Gavin’s skill-set has also caught the eye of NHL Central Scouting heading into the 2023 Draft in Nashville.
Providing his own scouting report on his son, he offered: “Gavin is an extreme competitor who hates to lose and does anything to win.”
Seeing some local roots in his game as well, stands out for Brindley.
“He has elite skating, hockey sense and plays with an edge. He has that ‘Thunder Bay Edge’ to his game. The boys from back home laugh when they watch him play and refer to his Thunder Bay blood. This helps him win battles and pucks as an undersized player. His lower body strength is impressive. What he can do in the gym is crazy and it shows on the ice.”
From his early days skating on local rinks, Ryan Brindley still savours his local connections and hearing from players and families from the city and their interests in the game.
“It would even be great to bring Gavin back home with me one of these days and run an event for minor hockey players up in Thunder Bay.”