From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013
looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their
Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 21 looks at clutch defenseman Brent Seabrook.
Brent Seabrook was born on April 20th, 1985, in Richmond, British Columbia. He began his playing career at age fifteen in the PIJHL with the Delta Ice Hawks in the 2000-2001 season, where he scored sixteen goals and twenty-six assists in forty-two games played. He was selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL Bantam Draft and joined then near the end of 2000-2001, playing in four games and going without a point. He remained with the Hurricanes in 2001-2002, and recorded six goals and thirty-three assists in sixty-seven games during the regular season, before registering another goal and assist in four playoff games. Seabrook posted similar number in the 2002-2003 season, notching nine goals and thirty-three assists in sixty-nine games. His play earned him a chance to represent Canada in the World U18 Championships in 2003, where he had three goals and three assists in seven games, helping Canada win the gold medal. Seabrook was on the radar to be drafted in the NHL, and the Chicago Blackhawks made it happen by picking him fourteenth overall in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Returning to Lethbridge in 2003-2004, Seabrook notched twelve goals and twenty-nine assists in sixty-one games. He was again selected to play for the Canadian National Team, this time at the World Junior Championships, where he posted one goal and two assists in six games as Canada claimed the silver medal. Seabrook played his final season in Lethbridge in 2004-2005, with a line of twelve goals and forty-two assists in sixty-three games, as well as a goal and two assists in five postseason games. The Blackhawks elected to assign Seabrook their American Hockey League affiliate at that time, the Norfolk Admirals, for the end of their season. Seabrook was without a point in three regular season games, and recorded just one assist in six games in the playoffs. He again represented Canada at the World Junior Championships, passing three assists in five games as Canada again took the gold medal. In 2005-2006, Seabrook finally arrived in the NHL, and had five goals and twenty-seven assists in sixty-nine games for the Blackhawks, an impressive debut that made him an essential part of the new core of players. Seabrook was selected to represent Canada in the 2006 World Championships, but he went without a point in eight games. He slumped a bit in 2006-2007, playing in eighty-one games but only posting a line of four goals and twenty assists. In 2007-2008, he was united with the Blackhawks' other star defenseman, Duncan Keith, on the top pairing, and responded with nine goals and twenty-three assists while playing in all eighty-two games. Seabrook notched eight goals and eighteen assists in 2008-2009, and the Blackhawks finally made the playoffs, where he added a goal and eleven assists in seventeen games, showing his ability to produce when it was most necessary. The 2009-2010 season was especially impressive for Seabrook, as he tallied four goals and twenty-six assists in just seventy-eight games during the regular season. He had also been called to represent Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and while he did not receive hefty playing time, he had one assist in seven games and was on the gold medal winning host team. Then, in the playoffs, Seabrook provided four goals and seven assists over twenty-two games as the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, and he was on the ice for the winning goal. Seabrook found new riches in the 2010-2011 season, posting nine goals and thirty-nine assists for a career high forty-eight points in eighty-two games, which earned him a five-year, $30 million contract mid-season. In the playoffs, he added one assist in five games. Seabrook posted nine goals and twenty-five assists in seventy-eight games for the 2011-2012 season, as well as one goal and two assists in six playoff games. He elected not to play during the 2012 lockout, and returned for the truncated 2013 season by appearing in forty-seven games for the Blackhawks, notching eight goals and twelve assists. In the postseason, he added three goals and one assist in twenty-three games, but the most important one game in overtime of Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals. Having had a goal waved off due to a questionable offsetting minors penalty call in the dying minutes of the third period, the Blackhawks came out with a chip on their shoulder against their bitter rivals, the Detroit Red Wings. Just over three and a half minutes into the extra time, Seabrook fired a shot from the left point that beat Jimmy Howard and sent the Blackhawks to the Western Conference Finals. This was as close as they had been to elimination in the postseason, and a month later they came out as Stanley Cup Champions for the second time in four years, with a lot of credit on Seabrook's season saving goal as their turning point.
Brent Seabrook was born on April 20th, 1985, in Richmond, British Columbia. He began his playing career at age fifteen in the PIJHL with the Delta Ice Hawks in the 2000-2001 season, where he scored sixteen goals and twenty-six assists in forty-two games played. He was selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL Bantam Draft and joined then near the end of 2000-2001, playing in four games and going without a point. He remained with the Hurricanes in 2001-2002, and recorded six goals and thirty-three assists in sixty-seven games during the regular season, before registering another goal and assist in four playoff games. Seabrook posted similar number in the 2002-2003 season, notching nine goals and thirty-three assists in sixty-nine games. His play earned him a chance to represent Canada in the World U18 Championships in 2003, where he had three goals and three assists in seven games, helping Canada win the gold medal. Seabrook was on the radar to be drafted in the NHL, and the Chicago Blackhawks made it happen by picking him fourteenth overall in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Returning to Lethbridge in 2003-2004, Seabrook notched twelve goals and twenty-nine assists in sixty-one games. He was again selected to play for the Canadian National Team, this time at the World Junior Championships, where he posted one goal and two assists in six games as Canada claimed the silver medal. Seabrook played his final season in Lethbridge in 2004-2005, with a line of twelve goals and forty-two assists in sixty-three games, as well as a goal and two assists in five postseason games. The Blackhawks elected to assign Seabrook their American Hockey League affiliate at that time, the Norfolk Admirals, for the end of their season. Seabrook was without a point in three regular season games, and recorded just one assist in six games in the playoffs. He again represented Canada at the World Junior Championships, passing three assists in five games as Canada again took the gold medal. In 2005-2006, Seabrook finally arrived in the NHL, and had five goals and twenty-seven assists in sixty-nine games for the Blackhawks, an impressive debut that made him an essential part of the new core of players. Seabrook was selected to represent Canada in the 2006 World Championships, but he went without a point in eight games. He slumped a bit in 2006-2007, playing in eighty-one games but only posting a line of four goals and twenty assists. In 2007-2008, he was united with the Blackhawks' other star defenseman, Duncan Keith, on the top pairing, and responded with nine goals and twenty-three assists while playing in all eighty-two games. Seabrook notched eight goals and eighteen assists in 2008-2009, and the Blackhawks finally made the playoffs, where he added a goal and eleven assists in seventeen games, showing his ability to produce when it was most necessary. The 2009-2010 season was especially impressive for Seabrook, as he tallied four goals and twenty-six assists in just seventy-eight games during the regular season. He had also been called to represent Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and while he did not receive hefty playing time, he had one assist in seven games and was on the gold medal winning host team. Then, in the playoffs, Seabrook provided four goals and seven assists over twenty-two games as the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, and he was on the ice for the winning goal. Seabrook found new riches in the 2010-2011 season, posting nine goals and thirty-nine assists for a career high forty-eight points in eighty-two games, which earned him a five-year, $30 million contract mid-season. In the playoffs, he added one assist in five games. Seabrook posted nine goals and twenty-five assists in seventy-eight games for the 2011-2012 season, as well as one goal and two assists in six playoff games. He elected not to play during the 2012 lockout, and returned for the truncated 2013 season by appearing in forty-seven games for the Blackhawks, notching eight goals and twelve assists. In the postseason, he added three goals and one assist in twenty-three games, but the most important one game in overtime of Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals. Having had a goal waved off due to a questionable offsetting minors penalty call in the dying minutes of the third period, the Blackhawks came out with a chip on their shoulder against their bitter rivals, the Detroit Red Wings. Just over three and a half minutes into the extra time, Seabrook fired a shot from the left point that beat Jimmy Howard and sent the Blackhawks to the Western Conference Finals. This was as close as they had been to elimination in the postseason, and a month later they came out as Stanley Cup Champions for the second time in four years, with a lot of credit on Seabrook's season saving goal as their turning point.
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