Derick Brassard

Derick Brassard (born September 22, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. He previously played in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and the Edmonton Oilers. The Blue Jackets selected him in the first round, sixth overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Born and raised in Hull, Quebec, Brassard grew up attending ice hockey games at the Robert Guertin Centre. He began ice skating at the age of five and played minor ice hockey for the Gatineau L'Intrépide. The Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) selected Brassard 18th overall in 2003, and he joined the team as a rookie in the 2004–05 season. After recording 25 goals and 76 points, Brassard received both the Michel Bergeron Trophy and RDS Cup at the end of his rookie season. He doubled his offensive production the next season and received the Michael Bossy Trophy for the top prospect in the QMJHL. Brassard missed most of his final junior ice hockey season after suffering a shoulder subluxation during a preseason game.

Brassard spent most of the 2007–08 season in the American Hockey League with the Syracuse Crunch, save for a brief stint in the NHL in January and February. The following season, he was one of several rookies to make the Blue Jackets' opening night roster. Brassard missed large parts of the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons with injuries, but he broke out offensively in 2010–11. The next two seasons were hindered by clashes with coach Scott Arniel and the 2012–13 NHL lockout, and Brassard was traded to the Rangers at the 2013 trading deadline. Brassard reached the Stanley Cup playoffs all four seasons he was with the Rangers, including their loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Rangers traded Brassard to the Senators before the 2016–17 season, where he struggled with coach Guy Boucher's frequent offensive line adjustments. He found more difficulties in Pittsburgh due to injuries and limited playing time on the lower lines. By 2019, Brassard had become an NHL journeyman: the Penguins traded him to the Florida Panthers, who flipped him to the Avalanche three weeks later. He spent a year apiece with the Islanders and Coyotes before joining the Flyers for the 2021–22 season. Brassard's trade deadline move to the Oilers made him one of nine NHL players to dress for 10 or more teams in his career.

Brassard returned to the Ottawa Senators on a professional tryout for the 2022–23 season. After a solid showing in training camp, he was awarded a one year contract. On March 2, 2023, Brassard played in his 1,000th NHL game.