The Life and Times of Fabian Brunnstrom

Two years and three days ago, a bright-eyed rookie made his NHL debut along with a huge impression by becoming just the third player in NHL history to score a hat trick in his first game.

Now many might think I’m getting the date wrong, because New York Ranger Derek Stepan became the fourth player to accomplish the feat earlier this season. Unfortunately, though, I’m talking about the Dallas Stars’ Fabian Brunnstrom, who, since then, has been unable to build on the success of that one game. So much so that last week he was recently placed on waivers (and cleared them), meaning the marriage, which was once characterized by a drawn-out courtship, during which Brunnstrom became the object of many NHL teams’ affections, has now become a trial separation.

Looking back, it was maybe to be expected that Brunnstrom would not turn out to be a star. For one, neither of the other two players to score hat tricks in their first game went on to become superstars in the league. Many could say that Quebec Nordique Real Cloutier (1979) was a legitimate star, scoring 344 points in just 317 games, but Montreal Canadien Alex Smart only played a grand total of eight NHL games, all in 1942-42. For his part, Brunnstrom has scored 40 points in 99 games. That isn’t to say that his career is done, but any hopes of a lengthy, decent one most certainly are.

Brunnstrom essentially got replaced on the team’s depth chart by the likes of Jamie Benn and James Neal. I mean, there’s no shame in it... oftentimes players’ skills will degrade with age. It just so happens that Brunnstrom’s did by the time most others are entering their prime. Okay, there’s a little shame in that. I mean, Neal and Benn are two and four years younger than Brunnstrom, meaning he’s got to feel like a retirement home resident surrounded by teenagers at a frat party. Now that he’s being sent away, he’s more like one whose family doesn’t even bother to visit.

This will be Brunnstrom’s third stint in the minors, but all three times beforehand were more like conditioning assignments. I guess the retiree simile is more apt than I initially thought. All he needs now is a walker, some meds, and a television with Matlock on and he’ll be set.

"I hope this feeling never ends!"

In all seriousness, it speaks to his inability to cut it when he can’t even stick with a team most are picking to miss the playoffs. They lack the solid goaltending, they let the face of their organization in Mike Modano walk in the off-season, one of their stars in Mike Ribeiro seems to have forgotten the memo that he’s a grown-up, and one of their alternate captains is Steve Ott! Steve Ott, nicknamed the Rat not because he has a long tail, although, accompanied by a pitchfork in his hand, that would explain a lot of things!

Now, obviously the Stars are undefeated right now, (very) early in the season, but anyone thinking that dominance will last should look at the Eastern Conference and the top of the standings there. That’s right, folks, the Toronto Maple Leafs are unbeaten as well! Now, anyone thinking the Leafs have a realistic chance at remaining number one in the East had better check themselves into a psychological treatment facility, stat! Because that’s not going to happen... Oh, how I love to get in one extra kick in on the league’s favourite perennial doormats.

The Stars are better than the Leafs, that’s for sure. And Brad Richards has been a revelation this last year and half-month. But there’s only so far a player in his contract year can take a below-average team. Case in point: the soon-to-be restricted-free-agent Brunnstrom. Something tells me the Stars don’t plan on re-signing him next year.