Growing up just 20 miles away from the stadiums in South Philadelphia, 27-year-old T.J. Brennan began attending Flyers games with his father at a young age. Years later, the Moorestown native has now been given the opportunity to play on that same ice, having signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, July 5.
“It seems a little surreal coming from the 5-year-old kid inside of me, but I’m definitely excited about the opportunity that lies ahead,” Brennan said. “I don’t know what it was that always attracted me to hockey, but I loved playing when I was little and it was something no one else in my family did and that I could make my own.”
Dating back to his childhood, the elite offensive AHL defenseman recalled always running around playing with his Fisher Price hockey sticks. However, it wasn’t until age 11 that he first started playing actual games at the Medford Ice Rink. From there, his ice hockey career began to snowball, leading to his travels both nationally and internationally.
From the Medford Ice Rink, Brennan next tried out for the Mt. Laurel Jaguars and made the team. The following year, at age 16, he played for the Little Philadelphia Flyer’s — a Junior A team. Then, after choosing to leave Moorestown High School during his senior year, he played two seasons for the now-defunct St. John’s Fog Devils of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In his third year, he moved with the team to Montreal where it became the Montreal Junior Hockey Club.
“Some people may have called my parents crazy for sending their son away to a foreign country at 17, but I can’t even explain just how supportive they’ve always been,” Brennan said. “I’m lucky because, even though I was pretty naïve of what I was actually doing back then, my parents always stayed super aware.”
In 2011, Brennan signed his first professional National Hockey League contract with the Buffalo Sabers and spent the first two years playing on their farm team. In his third year with the Sabers, he was moved up and down between the Sabers and their farm team, and later signed with the Florida Panthers. Throughout his career, he has appeared in 53 NHL games with Buffalo, Toronto and Florida, collecting five NHL goals and 13 points.
He attributes much of this success to really great coaches who were committed to helping teach and develop players. Along with “falling into good hands,” growing up in South Jersey helped expose him to the many opportunities that were around.
“It’s pretty amazing the journey that can happen when you follow a dream and see where it can take you. I’ve really enjoyed the ride so far, but I know there’s plenty left to go,” the 6-foot-1, 213-pound Brennan said.
Although his ride has indeed spanned a large portion of the northeast and Canada, Brennan admits he is glad to be back around home for the sake of his family, whom he is deeply connected to. One of five siblings, Brennan is excited he will now be able to more easily be around and support his family, especially now that his oldest sister, Cortney, has two children — one of which he is the godfather of.
In terms of the season to come, additional signings could potentially lead the Flyers to having nine total defensemen battling for six spots. Although Brennan will undoubtedly try to earn a spot on the Flyers roster during training camp, he has no problem beginning his career in Philadelphia playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, either. His NHL salary has an average annual value of $625,000.
“There’s one thing I’m certain everyone can expect out of me and that’s that I am dedicated to becoming the best person and player I can be. I’m open to trying new things and doing whatever it takes to advance in my personal life and in my career,” Brennan said. “I believe in staying strong and prioritizing my life, and that’s never a bad thing when you add someone like that to a team or organization.”
