Playing Career
Growing up in Tsawwassen, Delta, British Columbia, Seabrook played minor hockey with the Pacific Vipers, along with three future Chicago Blackhawks teammates, Colin Fraser, Troy Brouwer and Andrew Ladd. He went on to play major junior in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, having been drafted by them in the first round of the WHL Bantam Draft in 2000. Seabrook played with former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Kris Versteeg for three seasons in Lethbridge. After a 42-point season in 2002–03 with the Hurricanes, Seabrook was drafted 14th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Seabrook made his professional debut after completing his fourth and final WHL season, being assigned to the Norfolk Admirals, the Blackhawks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for the final three games of the regular season and six post-season games. Seabrook cracked the Blackhawks' lineup his first year out of junior in 2005–06 and recorded 5 goals and 32 points as a rookie. In his third NHL season, in 2007–08, Seabrook matched his rookie total with 32 points while tallying a personal best nine goals. He began the season on the top-defensive pairing with Duncan Keith.
The following season, he became an integral part of a young and rejuvenated Blackhawks team that made the playoffs for the first time in seven years the following season in 2009. Seabrook scored 11 points in 17 post-season games as the Blackhawks made it to the Western Conference Finals, where they were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings. His younger brother Keith plays for the Florida Panthers organization and is currently playing for their minor league affiliate in San Antonio. On June 9, 2010, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in overtime. Seabrook won his first Stanley Cup as a member of the team. He was on the ice when the victory occurred.
On February 27, 2011, the Chicago Blackhawks signed Seabrook to a 5-year, $30 million contract.
Read more about this topic: Brent Seabrook
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