WHL Alumni Spotlight – Braydon Coburn

Braydon Coburn of the Philadelphia Flyers is making his name as one of the most promising young defensemen in the NHL. With a 6’5”, 220-lb frame, smooth skating skills, and strong hockey instincts, the 23-year-old from Shaunavon, SK, has all the tools to become an all-star caliber rearguard in the future.
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rWith eight goals and 34 points, along with a team-leading +18 rating, in 70 games this season, Coburn has already established himself as a key component of the Flyers’ defense corps.
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rYet, fans of the Western Hockey League knew long ago about Coburn’s star power during his four-year major junior career with the Portland Winter Hawks.
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rThe first overall pick at the 2000 WHL Bantam Draft, Coburn racked up 29 goals and 131 points in 238 career games for the Winter Hawks from 2001-05. The former Hawks’ captain, originally selected eighth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003, also earned a plethora of honors during his WHL career such as WHL Humanitarian of the Year (2004) and WHL Western Conference First Team All-Star (2004, 2005).
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rOn top of that, Coburn played on two successive Canadian National Junior teams, helping the team win Gold in 2005.
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rThough three years removed from his time in Portland, Coburn still cherishes his WHL experience with the Winter Hawks.
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rBraydon Coburn’s Perspective
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rOn playing in the NHL…
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r“It’s been so much fun. You get used to the lifestyle, and traveling a lot, but it’s been a great experience. Now that I’ve been up here for a while, I’m getting more and more comfortable with the game, the players, and my own game. My goal since childhood was to make it to the NHL, and I’m very happy I’ve been able to see it through.”
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rOn his AHL experience…
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r“Playing in Chicago (AHL) was a good experience for me in getting me prepared for this level. I learned a lot, and worked hard on getting myself to a consistency level that would allow me to make the jump and succeed.”
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rOn keeping up with the Winter Hawks…
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r“It’s funny because this is the first year where I don’t recognize anybody on the team. It’ is tough to stay in touch a lot, but I still check the Website and keep tabs on how things are going there. I know they are having some tough times, and are in a rebuilding phase, but I think the organization has so much history and tradition that they’ll get things turned around.”
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rOn former Winter Hawks teammates now playing in the NHL…
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r“I see (Brandon) Dubinsky a lot, of course, because we play the Rangers a lot during the season. Dubi’s having a great year. It’s good to see a guy like Cody McLeod up here. I roomed with him for one year in Portland, and we became pretty good friends. He’s a guy who has willed his way to the NHL, and it’s good to see him sticking around.”
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rOn his WHL experience…
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r“It was a big part of my life. You know, I came there when I was 15, and spent four years of my life there. You learn so much, not just about hockey, but about how to grow up. The Portland Winter Hawks were so good to me, and treated me so well. Of course, the hockey in the WHL is so competitive and such good quality that it really helps you get used to playing hard and at a very high level.”
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rJesse Watts
rwhl.ca
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