Brent Sopel Brent Sopel ( born January 7 , 1977 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Metallurg Novokuznetsk in the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) . Playing career . Vancouver Canucks . On April 3 , 1996 , just under a year after being drafted , Sopel signed his first professional contract with his draft team , the Vancouver Canucks . Sopel scored his first NHL goal on April 10 , 1999 against the Edmonton Oilers ' Tommy Salo . Sopel was traded back to the Canucks during their 2006 – 07 season , on February 1 , 2007 , the NHL trade deadline . He missed the first game of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars after he injured his back picking a cracker up off the floor . The Canucks beat the Stars in quadruple overtime , in the sixth longest game in NHL history . New York Islanders . On August 3 , 2005 , the Canucks traded Sopel to the New York Islanders for a conditional draft pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft . On August 16 , just under a week after being traded , Sopel signed a two - year , $ 4 . 8 - million dollar with the Islanders . Chicago Blackhawks . Heading into the 2007 – 08 season with no contract , Sopel was invited to the Detroit Red Wings ' training camp . However , on September 28 , 2007 , Sopel left Red Wings camp , signing a one - year , $ 1 . 5 - million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks after the Red Wings had only offered a one - year , $ 500 , 000 contract . On January 10 , 2008 , Sopel signed a 3 - year , $ 7 - million contract extension with the Blackhawks , keeping him in Chicago through to the 2010 - 11 NHL season . On June 9 , 2010 , Brent Sopel won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks . In June 2010 , Sopel brought the team ' s recently won Stanley Cup to the 2010 Chicago Gay Pride Parade . Sopel brought the Cup to the parade in honor of the late Brendan Burke , son of his former boss in Vancouver , Brian , to display it in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade , stating to the press that honoring Burke ' s legacy and his father ' s example of familial support and tolerance was one of his reasons for marching in the parade . Although he was the team ' s representative , contrary to popular belief , Sopel did not use his personal day with it in the parade . Atlanta Thrashers . On June 23 , 2010 , Sopel was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers along with Dustin Byfuglien , Ben Eager , and Akim Aliu , for the 24th ( Kevin Hayes ) and 54th overall picks ( Justin Holl ) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft , Marty Reasoner , Joey Crabb , and Jeremy Morin . Montreal Canadiens . After playing 59 games for Atlanta , registering 2 goals and 7 points , he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens along with Nigel Dawes for Ben Maxwell and a 4th - round draft pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on February 24 , 2011 . Kontinental Hockey League . On July 29 , 2011 , Sopel announced that he had signed a 2 year contract with Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) . Personal life . Although born in Calgary , Sopel grew up in Saskatoon , Saskatchewan in the city ' s Silverwood Heights neighborhood , where he attended Sister O ' Brien School and Marion M . Graham Collegiate . Brent is married to Kelly since 2001 . They have 2 sons ; Paul & Jacob and 2 daughters ; Lyla & Jayla . Lyla has been diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia , like Brent . Paul was adopted in 2007 , when he was 17 years old . His parents , who were family friends of the Sopels , both died in a short period of time . Brent and Kelly thought it would be best if they took care of him . Sopel and his family currently reside in Chicago .