Rod Brind'Amour

**Rod Brind'Amour** (born Roderic Jean Brind'Amour on August 9, 1970 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and the Carolina Hurricanes. He is currently the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Brind'Amour was drafted 9th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues.

## Playing Career

### Early Playing Career

Rod was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. He played the next season at Michigan State University.

He became known for working out constantly, earning the nickname "Rod the Bod." During his time at Michigan State, he would go from a game directly into the weight room, where he would undertake a strenuous workout.

Spartans head coach Ron Mason said that Rod's workouts became so intense, they would turn the lights out on him; when that failed to work, they would padlock the room to bar his entry.

### Professional

At the end of the 1988–89 Central Collegiate Hockey Association season with the Spartans, Rod joined the Blues during the 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs. He made his debut in Game 5 of the Blues' division semifinals against the Minnesota North Stars and scored a goal on his first shot.

In his first full NHL season, he scored 27 points in the Blues' first 24 games and finished third on the Blues with 26 goals. For his efforts, he was selected to the 1989–90 All-Rookie Team.

The following season, Rod was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers (along with Dan Quinn) in exchange for Murray Baron & Ron Sutter. He spent his years in Philadelphia as an alternate to captain Kevin Dineen and then Eric Lindros, filling in as captain and wearing the "C" when the latter was out of the lineup.

It was in Philadelphia that Rod began his reputation as one of the best shutdown centres of the NHL; this has culminated into a Selke Trophy later awarded to him as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and again in 2007.

When the Flyers faced the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 1997 playoffs, he scored two short-handed goals during a single power play. The Flyers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, which they lost to the Detroit Red Wings.

During his stint with Philadelphia, he was considered one of the NHL's "ironmen" with a consecutive games streak of 484 played, a Flyers franchise record.

Rod culminated his career as a Flyer after 633 games with franchise records as the seventh all-time in assists with 366, tenth all time in goals with 235 and ninth overall in points with 601.

On November 23, 2015, he was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, with whom he was an assistant coach at the time.

Following his return from an ankle injury during the 1999–2000 season, Rod was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes (along with Jean-Marc Pelletier) in exchange for Keith Primeau.

Additionally, he was one-third of Carolina's "BBC Line" (also featuring Bates Battaglia and Erik Cole]]) during the Hurricanes' run to the Finals in 2002. Brind'Amour was named captain of the Hurricanes before the 2005–06 season.

Rod won a Stanley Cup ring with the Hurricanes, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals in seven games.

During the subsequent off-season, he signed a five-year contract extension with the Hurricanes. In December 2006, he recorded his 1,000th career NHL point, and in February 2007, he scored his 400th career goal.

On February 14, 2008, in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Brind'Amour tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the first period, ending his season. However, Brind'Amour would return for the 2008–09 season, playing in 80 games while recording 16 goals and 35 assists as the Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

On January 20, 2010, Rod was replaced as Hurricanes captain by Eric Staal (who was previously an alternate captain). He then served as an alternate captain for the remainder of the season.

Following the end of the season, he retired from professional hockey, having played 1,484 career NHL games after which he moved into the Hurricanes' management as a director of forwards development.

Rod's number 17 jersey was retired in a ceremony on February 18, 2011. The ceremony took place prior to a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, which at the time was coached by Peter Laviolette).

He was also among the last few players in the NHL who had also played in the League during the 1980s. At the time of his retirement, he finished his professional career 18th in all-time NHL games played.

## Coaching Career

On June 7, 2011, Rod was introduced by the Carolina Hurricanes as their assistant coach and development coach, retaining his role in developing the franchise's forwards while also spending time behind the bench in the NHL.

He represented the Hurricanes in a ceremony before the Charlotte Checkers' first home game as Carolina's new American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.

On May 8, 2018, Rod was hired as the Hurricanes' head coach. During his first season as head coach, he guided the team to its first playoff berth in a decade, leading them to the Eastern Conference finals where they were swept by the Boston Bruins.

## Personal Life

Rod was married to Kelle Sullivan Gardner (previously Kelly Sue Gardner) with whom he had three children. The couple divorced in 2004.

On July 10, 2010, he married Amy Biedenbach (the daughter of former North Carolina State University basketball standout & former UNC Asheville men's basketball coach, Eddie Biedenbach). The couple have one son together.

Rod's oldest son, Skyler was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers 177th overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and currently plays hockey at Quinnipiac University.