Disabato: Alex and Terry Broadhurst making an impact at Blackhawks Prospect Camp
Pat Disabato pdisabato@southtownstar.com | (708) 802-8837 July 11, 2012 8:04PM
Brothers Terry Broadhurst (right) and Alex Broadhurst. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media
“We both try to use our speed to our advantage. There are some big guys out there. You have
to be aware of your
surroundings or you can get yourself in trouble.”
Terry Broadhurst, on himself and his brother, Alex, both of whom are participating this week in the Blackhawks Prospects Camp
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Updated: August 13, 2012 2:07PM
Alex Broadhurst stands 6 feet, 165 pounds. Terry Broadhurst is 5-11, 162.
It says so on the Blackhawks Prospects Camp roster.
Rosters, however, are like fish tales. Each has a way of stretching the truth when it comes to size.
I interviewed the Broadhurst brothers after a Prospects scrimmage Wednesday at Johnny’s Ice House West in Chicago. Unless I’m suddenly 6-1 and not the 5-11 I’ve been the past 28 years, Terry and Alex are listed at least an inch taller than their actual heights.
The Orland Park natives are two of the smaller players at the camp, which consists of 52 Hawks hopefuls.
That, though, doesn’t really matter. The Broadhursts’ skill set trumps their size.
They also are fearless, yet not reckless.
What’s the difference between reckless and fearless? Stupidity.
The Broadhursts showed no anxiety skating into corners for the puck, despite the presence of larger opposing defensemen.
They had no reservations of skating in the open ice, with or without the biscuit, despite the threat of a check sending them down the street to Rush Medical Center.
They were, however, constantly aware of the opposition, skating as if their heads were on a swivel. Smart.
“We both try to use our speed to our advantage,” said Terry, wearing No. 39. “There are some big guys out there. You have to be aware of your surroundings or you can get yourself in trouble.”
It was impossible not to be aware of the brothers, whose speed and smarts were rewarded in the second period when Alex, wearing No. 52, tapped in a loose puck to give the Red Team a 4-2 edge.
Right place, right time, but hardly by accident. Alex, a left-handed shot like his brother, perfectly positioned himself just right of the crease.
It was a dominant shift, one that saw the Broadhursts on the wings, flanking center Mark McNeill, and controlling the puck in the White Team’s zone for a good minute. It’s a scenario they hope plays out quite often in the future.
“We were able to control some things and move the puck,” Alex said. “I assisted on his (Terry) goal last year, so it was his turn to do it for me this year.”
Never say never, but it’s unlikely either will stick with the Hawks when the season opens in October.
Terry, 23, likely is headed back to Rockford, the Hawks’ AHL affiliate, where he recorded two assists in eight games last season. He had 16 goals and 20 helpers in 38 games for the University of Nebraska-Omaha of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association before signing with the Hawks as a free agent March 19 and being assigned to Rockford.
“Those eight games made a difference for me,” Terry said. “I’m more familiar with the faster pace here.”
Alex, 19, played last season for Green Bay in the United States Hockey League, racking up 26 goals, 47 assists and a team-leading 73 points. The Hawks selected him in the seventh round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He’s likely going to play Juniors for the London (Ontario) Knights of the Canadian Hockey League.
“The plan is to go to London,” Alex said. “We’ll see what happens.”
It’s been quite a journey for both, coached as kids by their father, Terry. They played Triple A hockey for the Chicago Chill — Alex also played for the Chicago Mission, but their age difference prevented them from being teammates.
Terry graduated high school from Providence. Alex took a different rout, earning his diploma from a high school in Green Bay after spending one year at Sandburg and two at Lincoln-Way Central.
Alex’s meteoric rise isn’t a surprise to his buddies who made the trip to Johnny’s Wednesday.
“He’d get off the ice with one team and then go play with Lincoln-Way,” said Scott Johnson, who played hockey at Providence. “He’d just switch jerseys.”
The teams may have changed, but Alex’s production did not.
“Alex was so much better than everyone else,” said Mike Tisoncik, who helped St. Rita to four straight Kennedy Cups and a state title. “He was always more dedicated and took it more serious. It’s incredible to see him in a Blackhawks uniform.”
