Pimicikamak defenceman Brady Keeper vows to be 'better than ever' in return to Canucks' camp
WHISTLER, B.C. -- A year after a heinous injury scuttled his hockey season, Brady Keeper is back with the Vancouver Canucks -- and looking to cement his spot on the team.
The 26-year-old defenceman lay on the ice, screaming in pain after breaking both the tibia and fibia in his left leg at the end of training camp last September. It was his first injury in his professional hockey career, and one that forced a second abbreviated season in a row after COVID-19 curtailed the previous campaign.
"It was hard," said Keeper, who hails from the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Manitoba. "But to be honest, where I come from, we go through a lot of stuff. So I kind of had that mentality already, like I'm going to come back and come back better than ever."
The Pimicikamak Cree Nation, also known as the Cross Lake Band, is located more than 700 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
It's one of many First Nations across the country that's begun searching for unmarked graves at a former residential school site. Pimicikamak also declared a state of emergency in 2016 following a rash of suicides.
The community's history remained on Keeper's mind as he healed and rehabilitated from his injury.
"I'm just happy to be on the ice, honestly," he said at Canucks training camp in Whistler, B.C., on Friday. "As my dad reminded me, to be grateful for where I am, especially where I come from. So I kind of keep that in my heart.
"I'm just happy to be playing and I'm gonna try to prove to myself and to the team that I'm trying to make the team here."
Keeper, a six-foot-two, 197-pound blue liner, played at the University of Maine and in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League before signing his first NHL deal with the Florida Panthers in March 2019.
He played two games for Panthers and 72 in the American Hockey League before signing with the Canucks as a free agent in July 2021, only to see the broken leg wipe out his season.
After months at home with his wife and two young kids -- the couple are currently expecting their third child -- Keeper returned to Vancouver in April.
"That's when I first got on the ice after my injury," he said. "It took a while throughout the summer to feel normal again. But now I feel good. Ready to go and just happy to be playing hockey again."
Where, exactly, Keeper may fit in the Canucks organization now that he's healthy remains to be seen.
Head coach Bruce Boudreau admitted that he hasn't been focused on Keeper through the early days of training camp, but said the defenceman is a "pretty solid guy."
Missing an entire season would be tough on any player, he added.
"It's everything, especially at a young age and especially after he signs a one-way (deal)," Boudreau said. "It's probably the worst thing in his mind that could ever happen.
"But he's worked really hard to get where he is and you know he's gonna play some games and we'll see."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Remembering legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole. Oh baby, what a life
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Born June 24, 1933, the St. John's, N.L., native provided a distinctive soundtrack to Canada's game. He was known for his signature 'Oh baby' call, an expression that was not restricted to hockey arenas.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.