J . T . Brown Joshua Thomas Brown ( born July 2 , 1990 ) is an American ice hockey player . He is currently playing with the Tampa Bay Lightning which competes in the National Hockey League . He was born in High Point , North Carolina , but he was raised in Rosemount , Minnesota . Playing career . University of Minnesota Duluth . Brown attended the University of Minnesota Duluth after playing junior hockey in the United States Hockey League with the Waterloo Black Hawks . In 2011 , he was named the Most Outstanding Player award at the 2011 Frozen Four while capturing the national championship with UMD . Tampa Bay Lightning . Brown signed a two year entry level deal with the Lightning on March 28 , 2012 . Upon signing with Tampa Bay , General Manager Steve Yzerman said " I ' m anxious to see him play " . On March 31 , 2012 , Brown made his NHL debut in a Tampa Bay Lightning 3 - 2 overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets . On April 7 , 2012 , Brown recorded his first NHL assist in a Tampa Bay Lightning 4 - 3 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets . Syracuse Crunch . On September 9 , 2012 , the Tampa Bay Lightning assigned Brown and seventeen other players to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League . This was done in part due to the ongoing 2012 – 13 NHL lockout . On December 28 , 2012 , Brown sustained a shoulder injury in a 4 - 2 Syracuse Crunch victory over the Norfolk Admirals . Prior to the injury , Brown had six goals , 17 points and four penalty minutes in 26 games for Syracuse . It was revealed later in the day that Brown had suffered a broken collarbone , which required surgery to repair it . Brown was expected to compete for a roster spot with the Tampa Bay Lightning , but he was expected to be out six to eight weeks . On July 7 , 2013 , the Tampa Bay Lightning announced they had re - signed Brown to a one - year , two - way contract . Brown , skated int 51 one games with the Syracuse Crunch , recording 10 goals and 28 points to go along with 27 penalty minutes . Additionally , Brown skated in 18 Calder Cup Playoff games with Syracuse , registering four goals and nine points to go along with 18 penalty minutes . On September 29 , 2013 , Brown was reassigned to the Syracuse Crunch by the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of roster cuts for the coming NHL season . On November 11 , 2013 , The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled Brown from the Syracuse Crunch . Brown had played in 13 games with the Crunch , recording four goals and 10 points with a plus - 5 rating . Prior to being recalled , Brown was a two - game point streak , with a goal and an assist . Tampa Bay Lightning . On November 16 , 2013 , Brown scored his first NHL goal in a Tampa Bay Lightning 6 - 3 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes . On June 6 , 2014 , The Tampa Bay Lightning announced the re - signing of forward J . T . Brown to a two - year , one - way contract . Brown appeared in 63 games with the Lightning last season , posting four goals and 19 points while averaging 13 : 02 in ice time per game . Brown also played in all four Stanley Cup playoff games in 2014 , notching two assists . During the post season Brown was averaging 14 : 59 minutes in ice time . International . Brown played with the United States National team at the IIHF World Championships . He scored his first goal against Kazakhstan on May 11 , 2012 . Family . Brown is the son of former National Football League running back Ted Brown . In an interview , Brown gave credit to his father for having played a vital role in being able to push his game to new heights . Speaking about his father , " he has always been someone to lean on . He and the rest of my family always have always really supported me . I can ' t thank them enough . "