COVENTRY Blaze have confirmed the return of Canadian defenceman Brady Norrish for the 2023/24 Elite League season.
The 30-year-old made the move to Blaze ahead of the 2022/23 season during which he registered 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) in 66 Elite League competition games.
Norrish later took on an associate captaincy role and will now enter his third season in the Elite League having spent the 2021/22 campaign with Nottingham Panthers.
Head coach, Danny Stewart, said: “We are a better team with Brady Norrish. His compete levels are off the charts, and he is a clear-cut top pairing d-man for us.
“He plays in all situations and excels in all areas. For opposing teams, he is so tough to play against. His ability to win puck battles, play physical and shut down forwards makes him such an asset for us.
“He’s a big part of our group on and off the ice and will play a big role in leading this team.”
With the Panthers, right shooter Norrish contributed 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 67 Elite League competition games.
Prior to his move to the UK, Norrish spent two seasons between the AHL and ECHL where he became an All-Star in 2019/20.
Between 2018 and 2020, the Strongfield,SK, native racked up 58 points (15 goals, 43 assists) in 116 ECHL regular season games and four assists in 10 play-off games with the Idaho Steelheads.
He also played 13 games in the AHL with the Texas Stars.
Norrish’s junior career was spent in the NCAA with RIT (Rochester Inst. of Tech.) where over four seasons he registered 55 points (11 goals, 44 assists) in 100 games.
A captain throughout his time with the college, Norrish was twice an NCAA (AHA) champion in 2015 and 2016 and three times selected to one of the All-Conference Teams.
His personal honours include winning the Art Thomas Leadership Award in 2017/18 and sharing RIT’s Greg Moss Hard Hat Award for grit and determination in 2015/16.
Norrish also won the SJHL title twice with the Yorkton Terriers in 2013 and 2014 where he played for three full years.
