But Brooks, a Toronto resident, has been to Salt Lake City only a half dozen times since the move. Instead, he spends his time with prospects at Tucson, Utah’s American Hockey League affiliate, or visiting players like forward Jonathan Castagna, selected in the third round (No. 70) of the 2023 NHL Draft, at Cornell University or at home coaching overseas prospects via Zoom.
“I just got back from Tucson on a Friday, went out to Cornell, out to Sault Ste. Marie after that,” he said in early November. “You know, just constant, constantly collecting the air miles.”
The 38-year-old former junior and semipro player is enjoying the ride. He’s dreamed of being an NHL coach and joining a small but growing number of coaches of color in the League. He’s put in the work by climbing the coaching and skill development ladder from the youth hockey to the Canadian college level.
“I felt it was going to take me more time to get into the NHL, but being able to get into this role has been really good,” he said. “It’s amazing. I get to learn, get to work with some elite people from our management to our scouts, to our American League staff, to our NHL staff. I couldn’t be in a better situation.”
Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said Brooks plays a vital role in preparing the organization’s young players for the rigors of the NHL.
“When he works with our prospects, you can see it right away,” Armstrong said. “He’s got a sense about him, a way about him, that he can relate to the prospect because he’s been in a lot of different leagues as a player and coach, and he’s really worked hard at studying the development game.
“Instead of us waiting for that player to get here (Utah) and all of a sudden we tell them that they’re doing 55 things wrong, he helps them as they’re playing, whether in juniors or college, grow their game and learn a little about where their game has to get to the pro level. And he’s growing along with our prospects and finding better ways to teach them and get them to absorb the information quicker.”
Before joining Utah, Brooks was at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) from 2014-22, rising from an assistant and skill development coach to a full-time associate coach.
