TJ Brennan Takes Home Eddie Shore Award

Photo Courtesy of Carrie Scoma Flickr

As the AHL season begins to wind down the league has started handing out some of their season ending awards. Toronto Marlies defenceman TJ Brennan is taking home the award for best defenceman in the AHL.

The AHL awarded Brennan the Eddie Shore Award for his tremendous season on the Marlies blue line. He came to the Marlies this season after leaving the Florida Panthers as a free agent in the off season and boy did he have a year with the Marlies.

He finished 5th in league scoring with 69 points in 73 games which ranks him amongst the top offencive performances from a defenceman in AHL history, led the league with 42 power play points and helped lead the Marlies into the AHL postseason.

The 25 year-old Brennan was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the 2007 NHL draft, however he couldn’t find a permanent spot on their backend and found himself in Florida.

Brennan has been criticized for his defensive play this season, however, his speciality is keeping the puck out of his own end and generating offence for his team. If he’s scoring goals for the Marlies, it means the Marlies aren’t being scored on.

Remarkable, despite the Toronto Maple Leafs defencive short comings and TJ Brennan’s outstanding season with the Marlies, Brennan did see any NHL time this season. As a result Brennan will once again become a unrestricted free season at the end of this season. Many AHL teams and some NHL teams will sure be calling upon the AHL’s best defenceman should the Leafs not resign him.