Up and down season won't stop Brett Findlay

Getting a ticket to Florida is normally good news in the winter time, but for Brett Findlay, a member of the Toronto Marlies, that meant a demotion to the Toronto Maple Leafs ECHL affiliate in Orlando.  

It was an up and down season for the former Blind River Beaver and Soo Greyhound who went up and down six times between the Marlies and Solar Bears from October to April in 2015-16.   

The Echo Bay product got in to 39 games with the Toronto Marlies who are embarking on a run for a Calder Cup title this spring.  

The former Greyhounds forward notched six goals and 11 assists this year after getting into 15 games in 14-15 with the Marlies. 

A late season demotion saw Findlay net 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points in 22 games with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.   

The son of a figure skating and power skating instructor in Sault Ste. Marie has never had an issue with his skating but he knows to play in the AHL or make the jump to the NHL one day, he will need to build on his six-foot, 189-pound frame. 

“I need to get bigger and stronger, there is always parts of your game that you can work on, I think for me, my skating is a plus of mine I need to work on my size and strength in the corners and being able to battle big guys,” said the 23-year-old.  

“The game has came a long way, skating is a big part of it now the biggest thing for me is to try and move my feet out there use speed through the middle and create opportunities,” Findlay added.

Findlay played two full seasons with the hometown Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds but he credits an offensive explosion with the Blind River Beavers in 2009-10 for getting him ready for the OHL in the fall of 2010. 

In that year Findlay notched 28 goals and 59 assists for 87 points.  He credits coaches Jim Capy and Don Gagnon for believing in him during that big offensive year.  

“They gave me a great opportunity, and I have to thank them for giving me a chance, I was able to take it and run with it,” Findlay said about the two Sault Ste. Marie area coaches.  

“Success-wise that was the best year I have had of hockey up to date, we had a great team and I was given every opportunity, and I am thankful for it,” added Findlay about his year with the Beavers; a team where his former Greyhounds roommate Dylan King is now an assistant coach.

While the setbacks to the ECHL have been frustrating, the undrafted Findlay isn’t going to let that stop him.  

“I will continue to continue to work on it over the next few years and hopefully I get a shot (at the NHL),” he said.