A Canadian professional hockey player, Brandon Pirri turned pro in 2009 when he was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Pirri plays center and is renowned for his goal-scoring ability, which drew the Blackhawks to him.
Early in his professional career, Pirri was struggling to find his place in the NHL, so he was constantly traded to minor AHL teams. However, an impressive performance in 2013 with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs became the big career break he needed.
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Biography of Brandon Pirri
Pirri was born on April 10, 1991 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2007, at age 16, he began his career with the Streetsville Derbys of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Pirri’s scoring abilities in the OJHL began to turn heads in the 2008/2009 season, scoring a combined 46 goals and 94 points during his career with the Georgetown Raiders and Streetsville Derbys.
In 2009, Pirri attended RensselaerInstitut Polytechnic where he played for the school’s RPI Engineers hockey team which competed in the Eastern Colleges Conference (ECAC). By the end of his first year, Pirri had played 39 matches with 11 goals and 24 points. His freshman year would become his only academic year.
However, Pirri’s performance in the junior league and NCAA was enough to see him enter the 2009 NHL Draft where he was selected in the second round 59th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. He made his NHL debut in a game on October 9, 2010 against the Detroit Red Wings. However, his stay in the NHL was short-lived as he was traded to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL for the remainder of the 2010/2011 season.
career success
In his 70 games played for Rockford, Pirri scored 23 goals and 56 points. He started the following season 2011/2012 with the NHL Blackhawks. After playing 5 games with the NHL, Pirri finished the American League season with Rockford. He played 66 games scoring 23 goals and 56 points. The following season 2012/2013 was even better for the budding star, who went on to score 75 points which was also the high point of the season.
This was a major breakthrough for Pirri. This feat earned him the coveted John B. Sollenberger Trophy. Thanks to his impressive performance, Pirri would spend the next four seasons playing in the NHL without any minor AHL assignments.
He scored his first NHL goal on October 17, 2013 in a game against the St. Louis Blues. Between November 14 and 17, 2013, Pirri scored one goal in three consecutive games. On March 2, 2014, the Blackhawks would trade Pirri to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2014 3rd round pick and a 2016 5th round pick.
The 2014/2015 season would become the NHL’s first full season. He played 49 games and scored 22 goals and 24 points. The following season, Pirri continued to star in the Panthers. After appearing in 52 games and scoring just 11 goals and 24 points, Pirri spent the rest of the 2015/2016 season with the Anaheim Ducks where he was traded in exchange for a 6th round pick.
Pirri as a free agent
Becoming a free agent in 2016, Brandon Pirria signed a one-year contract worth $1.1 million with the New York Rangers. However, his performance has greatly diminished. Out of 60 appearances for the team, he scored just 8 goals and 18 points. Due to his poor season, Pirri struggled to land a new contract.
According to reports, he was signed on a one-year deal by Swiss National League Lions ZSC but it was never made official. Pirri attempted to return to his first NHL team, the Chicago Blackhawks, but failed to impress on tryout. Fortunately, in October 2017, the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights signed him to a one-year contract, after which he was assigned to play for their AHL-affiliated club Chicago Wolves.
He will then make his debut with the Knights in a game against the Vancouver Canucks where he will score two goals and three points.
Facts About Brandon Pirri
1. In 2010, while serving with the ECAC RPI Engineers, Brandon Pirri was named to the All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team.
2. He was the AHL’s leading scorer in 2013 with the Rockford IceHogs.
3. Brandon Pirri is married to Elyse. She is originally from Highland Park. Together they have a child born in early 2018. The family resides in Chicago.
4. Pirri is exactly 6 feet tall and weighs around 183 pounds.
5. During his career, Pirri has made at least 228 appearances scoring 60 goals and 101 points.
6. Brandon Pirri doesn’t have any social media accounts.
7. Prior to attending RPI, Pirri had studied at Vaughan Road Academy.
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