Four Broncos Alumni Chasing Stanley Cup in NHL Playoffs
Four Swift Current Broncos alumni are taking part in the 2024 NHL Playoffs, with two of the four having been WHL Champions with the Broncos.
Stuart Skinner, Beck Malenstyn, Adam Lowry, and Jake Debrusk are representing the Broncos with their respective NHL clubs.
Lowry, the captain of the Winnipeg Jets, spent four seasons with the Broncos between 2009 and 2013. He was an Assistant Captain for the Broncos in 2011/2012 before being named Captain in 2012/2013. In 235 career WHL games, Lowry scored 90 goals and added 114 assists for 204 points. Lowry also participated in eight playoff games for the Broncos, notching six points across two playoffs.
The former third-round pick of the Jets was also named the WHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year in 2009/2010, and was the WHL’s Player of the Year in 2012/2013.
In his NHL Career, Lowry is currently playing his 10th NHL season and was named the Jets captain this summer. He has played over 700 NHL games and has eclipsed 200 points. This will mark Lowry’s seventh time in the playoffs, and heading into this run, he has played 44 games, notching 18 points.
The Jets take on the Avalance in the first round, and Lowry has already made his mark, scoring twice in Game 1 on Sunday night.
Debrusk, a former first-round pick by the Boston Bruins, spent parts of three seasons with the Broncos between 2013 and 2016 before being traded to the Red Deer Rebels. With the Broncos, Debrusk played 168 games, tallying 146 points. He was part of two playoff runs, playing nine games and scoring three goals and adding one assist.
In his NHL Career, Debrusk has played solely for the Bruins organization, and he is currently in his seventh season in the NHL. He’s played over 450 games, and has tallied over 250 regular season points. Debrusk and the Bruins have made the playoffs in every season of Debrusk’s tenure. He’s played 73 playoff games heading into this run, and the Edmonton, Alta. product has 22 goals and 14 assists for 36 points.
The Bruins have already taken a 1-0 lead in their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Debrusk had two goals and an assist in Game 1 on Friday night.
Malenstyn, originally drafted in the sixth-round by the Washington Captitals, spent the majority of the 2017/2018 season with the Broncos after being traded to Swift Current from Calgary. He played 38 games with the club, tallying 29 points in the regular season. In 26 playoff games, Malenstyn had 11 points to help the Broncos win the WHL Championship. He added two points at the Memorial Cup as well.
Malenstyn played a career-high 81 games with the Capitals in the regular season this year, his fifth season in the NHL. Over 105 NHL games, Malenstyn has 24 points. This will be his first season in the playoffs with the Capitals, but the White Rock, B.C. product did win a Calder Cup in the AHL with Hershey in 2022/2023.
Malenstyn and the Capitals battle the New York Rangers in the first-round.
Skinner was brought to the Broncos in a massive trade in the 2017/2018 season, and ultimately played 25 regular season games in the Broncos net. The goaltender was 16-6-2 with the Broncos with a 2.68 goals-against-average, and a .914. save-percentage with two shutouts.
In the playoffs, Skinner helped the Broncos win the WHL Championship with a 16-10 record in 26 games, with a 2.20 goals-against-average, and a .932 save-percentage with six shutouts which is tied for the most in a single playoff run in WHL history.
Skinner also have a .902 save percentage at the Memorial Cup for the Broncos.
Skinner is a former third-round pick of his hometown Edmonton Oilers, and has played a total of five NHL seasons, playing in 123 games, earning 72 wins with a .909 save-percentage and a 2.69 goals-against-average with four shutouts.
This season will mark Skinners second playoff run with the Oilers. Last season, Skinner had a .883 save percentage in 12 games.
He and the Oilers start their series against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.
All four alumni are looking for their first career Stanley Cup.