Andrew Brunette Andrew Brunette ( born August 24 , 1973 ) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Playing career . Brunette grew up in the small community of Valley East , Ontario just outside of Sudbury . He played much of his minor hockey career with the Rayside - Balfour Sabrecats of the NOHA . After a solid Midget season in 1989 - 90 , Brunette was selected in the 7th round of the 1990 OHL Priority Selection by the Owen Sound Platers . He was an OHL teammate of future NHLers Kirk Maltby , Scott Walker , Kevin Weekes and Jamie Storr . Brunette debuted in the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) playing for the Owen Sound Platers for three seasons between 1990 and 1993 and scored 233 points in 195 games , winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy , the scoring title , in 1993 . He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the seventh round , 174th overall , in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft . After being drafted , he played for the Hampton Roads Admirals in the ECHL , before moving to the American Hockey League ( AHL ) , where he played for two more teams that season : Providence Bruins and Portland Pirates . Brunette stayed with the Pirates until 1998 , but was called up by the Capitals for the first time in the 1995 – 96 NHL season and played 11 games . He played 23 and 28 games in the following NHL seasons and left the AHL definitively when he was selected in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft by new franchise Nashville Predators . Brunette scored the Predators first goal in a 3 – 2 win vs . the Carolina Hurricanes . After playing the 1998 – 99 season for the Predators , he moved to the newly created Atlanta Thrashers and played two seasons there , moving to the Minnesota Wild in the 2001 – 02 NHL season . He scored the final goal on Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche in overtime of game 7 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals on April 22 , 2003 . Brunette stayed with the Wild until 2004 and signed as a free agent for the Colorado Avalanche after the 2004 – 05 lockout . He scored the series - clinching goal for the Colorado Avalanche on April 30 , 2006 , against the Dallas Stars in game 5 of the 2006 Western Conference Quarterfinals . 2006 – 07 was his best individual season : he averaged over a point per game for his first time in the NHL , playing on a line with superstar centre Joe Sakic . Andrew Brunette scored his 500th NHL career point on October 26 , 2007 against the Calgary Flames . Brunette signed a 3 - year , $ 7 - million deal with the Minnesota Wild on July 1 , 2008 . This marks his second stint with the Wild ( 2001 – 02 to 2003 – 04 ) . Brunette is highly regarded for his physical durability and consistency , qualities which lead him to play in 509 consecutive games without having to sit out due to injury . On December 31 , 2001 he missed a game due to a shoulder contusion , however after that he proceeded to play in every single game until February 21 , 2009 , when a lower body injury forced him to sit out of a game between his Minnesota Wild and the Detroit Red Wings . Brunette was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee but insisted on playing out the 2008 – 09 season , before having surgery in the offseason . He signed a one - year contract worth $ 2 million with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1 , 2011 .