Brian Elliott
Encyclopedia
Brian Elliott is a Canadian ice hockey
goaltender
who currently plays for the St. Louis Blues
of the National Hockey League
. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators
in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
, 291st overall. He went on to play 4 seasons for the University of Wisconsin–Madison
.
After a standout season with the Ajax Axemen in 2002–03, Elliott was drafted late in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. The second last player selected (291st overall), Elliott was not expected to progress to the NHL. He would spend four seasons with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, serving as a backup for his first two seasons before securing the starting goaltender position in 2005–06. He was selected as a finalist for the 2005–06 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, collecting eight shutouts in 33 appearances, and leading the Badgers to the 2006 NCAA National Championship. He was signed by the AHL
's Binghamton Senators
on March 23, 2007, and played in eight games with Binghamton near the end of the 2006–07 season
.
Elliott was invited to the Ottawa Senators' 2007–08 training camp, but was ultimately assigned to Binghamton on September 25, 2007. He was recalled to Ottawa four days later to back up Martin Gerber
, as starting goaltender Ray Emery
was recovering from wrist surgery. On October 10, Elliott played in his first NHL game and earned the win against the Atlanta Thrashers
. Upon Emery's return, Elliott was sent back to Binghamton, where he played in 44 games that season.
On January 9, 2009
, Elliott was recalled by Ottawa after being named the AHL's "Goalie of the Month" for December. He had been a standout in Binghamton, posting an 18–8–1 record with a 2.31 goals against average
and .926 save percentage
. His play earned him the starting position for the Canadian team in the 2009
AHL All-Star Game.
Elliott made an immediate impact in Ottawa. The team had struggled all season, with inconsistent goaltending being an issue. Craig Hartsburg
, Ottawa's head coach at the time, said of the move "We need some saves, some big saves, and he's done it down there (Binghamton)". Elliott would finish the season in Ottawa, sharing goaltending duties with veteran Alex Auld
. Elliott's emergence made Martin Gerber
expendable, and he would be claimed on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs
.
Elliott was nominated for the NHL's "Rookie of the Month" award for March 2009, though he would lose out to Blues' forward T.J. Oshie. In January 2010
, he was awarded the National Hockey League's "First Star" for the week of January 18–24, and named the league's "Second Star" the week of January 25–31.
Prior to the trade deadline of the 2010–11 season
Elliott was traded as a part of Ottawa's rebuilding process to the Colorado Avalanche
on February 18, 2011 in exchange for goaltender Craig Anderson.
With 2 wins in 12 starts to end the season, Elliott was released as a free agent after the Avalanche declined his qualifying offer. Elliott then signed a one-year contract worth $600,000 with the St. Louis Blues
on July 1, 2011.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who currently plays for the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
2003 NHL Entry Draft
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21, 2003.Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, only the third goalie in NHL history selected as the first overall draft choice...
, 291st overall. He went on to play 4 seasons for the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
Playing career
Elliott grew up in Newmarket, Ontario playing minor hockey for the Newmarket Redmen AA and the York-Simcoe Express AAA teams in the OMHA. Elliott was not drafted by an OHL team in 2001 and returned to York-Simcoe for Major Midget the following season. After a good season in the Eastern AAA League, Elliott was signed by the Ajax Axemen Jr.A. team in 2002–03.After a standout season with the Ajax Axemen in 2002–03, Elliott was drafted late in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. The second last player selected (291st overall), Elliott was not expected to progress to the NHL. He would spend four seasons with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, serving as a backup for his first two seasons before securing the starting goaltender position in 2005–06. He was selected as a finalist for the 2005–06 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, collecting eight shutouts in 33 appearances, and leading the Badgers to the 2006 NCAA National Championship. He was signed by the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Binghamton Senators
Binghamton Senators
The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators...
on March 23, 2007, and played in eight games with Binghamton near the end of the 2006–07 season
2006–07 AHL season
The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals....
.
Elliott was invited to the Ottawa Senators' 2007–08 training camp, but was ultimately assigned to Binghamton on September 25, 2007. He was recalled to Ottawa four days later to back up Martin Gerber
Martin Gerber
Martin Gerber is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Växjö Lakers Hockey of the Elitserien...
, as starting goaltender Ray Emery
Ray Emery
Ray Emery , often nicknamed Razor or Sugar Ray, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, currently with the Chicago Blackhawks. He formerly played for the Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League and Atlant Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey...
was recovering from wrist surgery. On October 10, Elliott played in his first NHL game and earned the win against the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
. Upon Emery's return, Elliott was sent back to Binghamton, where he played in 44 games that season.
On January 9, 2009
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, Elliott was recalled by Ottawa after being named the AHL's "Goalie of the Month" for December. He had been a standout in Binghamton, posting an 18–8–1 record with a 2.31 goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
and .926 save percentage
Save percentage
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...
. His play earned him the starting position for the Canadian team in the 2009
2008–09 AHL season
The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:...
AHL All-Star Game.
Elliott made an immediate impact in Ottawa. The team had struggled all season, with inconsistent goaltending being an issue. Craig Hartsburg
Craig Hartsburg
Craig William Hartsburg is a retired Canadian professional hockey player and associate coach in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames. He also coached in the Ontario Hockey League. He has previously been an NHL head coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and...
, Ottawa's head coach at the time, said of the move "We need some saves, some big saves, and he's done it down there (Binghamton)". Elliott would finish the season in Ottawa, sharing goaltending duties with veteran Alex Auld
Alex Auld
Alexander Auld is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . Auld has also played for the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars of the NHL...
. Elliott's emergence made Martin Gerber
Martin Gerber
Martin Gerber is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Växjö Lakers Hockey of the Elitserien...
expendable, and he would be claimed on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Elliott was nominated for the NHL's "Rookie of the Month" award for March 2009, though he would lose out to Blues' forward T.J. Oshie. In January 2010
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
, he was awarded the National Hockey League's "First Star" for the week of January 18–24, and named the league's "Second Star" the week of January 25–31.
Prior to the trade deadline of the 2010–11 season
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
Elliott was traded as a part of Ottawa's rebuilding process to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
on February 18, 2011 in exchange for goaltender Craig Anderson.
With 2 wins in 12 starts to end the season, Elliott was released as a free agent after the Avalanche declined his qualifying offer. Elliott then signed a one-year contract worth $600,000 with the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
on July 1, 2011.
Personal
- While attending Newmarket High SchoolNewmarket High SchoolNewmarket High School is an Ontario secondary school located at 505 Pickering Crescent, off Mulock Drive in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. It is one of four high schools in Newmarket under the jurisdiction of the York Region District School Board and currently educates approximately 1214 students from...
, he took the school's boys hockey team to the championship, winning it in 2000. - Elliott's father, Bill, is a television director who has worked on numerous Canadian television programs including The Red Green ShowThe Red Green ShowThe Red Green Show is a Canadian television comedy that aired on various channels in Canada, with its ultimate home at CBC Television, and on Public Broadcasting Service stations in the United States, from 1991 until the series finale April 7, 2006 on CBC...
. - Elliott has one brother named Dan.
- Elliott was taught the art of moose calling by the late Owen Scott, a champion moose caller. He paid tribute to Scott with a mooseMooseThe moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
painted on the back of his goaltender mask. Brian also has Casey Jones from Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
painted on his mask.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2003–04 | University of Wisconsin–Madison University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866... |
WCHA Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.... |
6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 336 | 12 | 0 | 2.14 | .912 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | WCHA | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 467 | 9 | 3 | 1.16 | .945 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | WCHA | 33 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 2008 | 52 | 8 | 1.55 | .938 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | WCHA | 36 | 15 | 17 | 2 | 2053 | 72 | 5 | 2.10 | .923 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Binghamton Senators Binghamton Senators The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 425 | 30 | 0 | 4.24 | .886 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 | .966 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Binghamton Senators | AHL | 44 | 18 | 19 | 1 | 2394 | 112 | 2 | 2.81 | .915 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:... |
Binghamton Senators | AHL | 30 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 1691 | 65 | 2 | 2.31 | .926 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Ottawa Senators | NHL | 31 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 1667 | 77 | 1 | 2.77 | .902 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Ottawa Senators | NHL | 55 | 29 | 18 | 4 | 3038 | 130 | 5 | 2.57 | .909 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 203 | 14 | 0 | 4.14 | .853 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Ottawa Senators | NHL | 43 | 13 | 19 | 8 | 2293 | 122 | 3 | 3.19 | .894 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
NHL | 12 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 690 | 44 | 0 | 3.83 | .891 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 142 | 61 | 53 | 16 | 7748 | 374 | 9 | 2.90 | .901 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 203 | 14 | 0 | 4.14 | .853 | ||||