Playing career

Brunette grew up in the small community of Valley East, Ontario just outside Sudbury. He played much of his minor hockey career with the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats of the NOHA.

After a solid Midget season in 1989-90, Brunette was selected in the 7th round of the 1990 OHL Priority Selection by the Owen Sound Platers. He was an OHL teammate of future NHLers Kirk Maltby, Scott Walker, Kevin Weekes and Jamie Storr.

Brunette debuted in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playing for the Owen Sound Platers for three seasons between 1990 and 1993 and scored 295 points in 195 games, winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, the scoring title, in 1993. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the seventh round, 174th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

After being drafted, he played for the Hampton Roads Admirals in the ECHL, before moving to the American Hockey League (AHL), where he played for two more teams that season: Providence Bruins and Portland Pirates. Brunette stayed with the Pirates until 1998, but was called up by the Capitals for the first time in the 1995-96 NHL season and played 11 games. Over the following few seasons, he played 51 more games for Washington before being selected in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft by new franchise Nashville Predators. He also scored the first goal for the Nashville Predators.

After playing in the inaugural 1998-99 season for the Predators, he moved to the newly created Atlanta Thrashers and played two seasons there before moving to the Minnesota Wild in the 2001-02 NHL season. He scored the final goal on Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche in overtime of game 7 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals on April 22, 2003. Brunette stayed with the Wild until 2004 and signed as a free agent for the Colorado Avalanche after the 2004-05 lockout.

He scored the series-clinching goal for the Colorado Avalanche on April 30, 2006, against the Dallas Stars in game 5 of the 2006 Western Conference Quarterfinals. The 2006-07 was his best individual season, averaging over a point per game for his first time in the NHL, playing on a line with superstar centre Joe Sakic. Andrew Brunette scored his 500th NHL career point on October 26, 2007 against the Calgary Flames. Brunette played three consecutive full 82 game seasons with the Avalanche.

Brunette signed a 3-year, $7-million deal with the Minnesota Wild on July 1, 2008 to begin a second stint with the Wild.

Brunette was highly regarded for his physical durability and consistency, qualities which allowed him to play in 509 consecutive games without having to sit out due to injury from 2002 to 2009. Brunette was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee but insisted on playing out the 2008-09 season, before having surgery in the offseason.

He signed a one-year contract worth $2 million with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2011. During the 2011-12 season Brunette, in a reduced role, recorded a career low in points with 27 in 78 games.

With the NHL lockout and limited NHL interest as a Free Agent upon the resumption of the shortened 2012-13 season, on February 13, 2013, Brunette announced his retirement in taking up the position of Hockey Operations Advisor to the Minnesota Wild.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1989-90	Rayside-Balfour Canadians	NOJHL		4	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
1989-90	Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats	NOHA		32	38	65	103	20		—	—	—	—	—
1990-91	Owen Sound Platers	OHL		63	15	20	35	15		—	—	—	—	—
1991-92	Owen Sound Platers	OHL		66	51	47	98	42		5	5	0	5	8
1992-93	Owen Sound Platers	OHL		66	62	100	162	91		8	8	6	14	16
1993-94	Hampton Roads Admirals	ECHL		20	12	18	30	32		7	7	6	13	18
1993-94	Providence Bruins	AHL		3	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1993-94	Portland Pirates	AHL		23	9	11	20	10		2	0	1	1	0
1994-95	Portland Pirates	AHL		79	30	50	80	53		7	3	3	6	10
1995-96	Portland Pirates	AHL		69	28	66	94	125		20	11	18	29	15
1995-96	Washington Capitals	NHL		11	3	3	6	0		6	1	3	4	0
1996-97	Portland Pirates	AHL		50	22	51	73	48		5	1	2	3	0
1996-97	Washington Capitals	NHL		23	4	7	11	12		—	—	—	—	—
1997-98	Portland Pirates	AHL		43	21	46	67	64		10	1	11	12	12
1997-98	Washington Capitals	NHL		28	11	12	23	12		—	—	—	—	—
1998-99	Nashville Predators	NHL		77	11	20	31	26		—	—	—	—	—
1999-00	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL		81	23	27	50	30		—	—	—	—	—
2000-01	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL		77	15	44	59	26		—	—	—	—	—
2001-02	Minnesota Wild	NHL		81	21	48	69	18		—	—	—	—	—
2002-03	Minnesota Wild	NHL		82	18	28	46	20		18	7	6	13	4
2003-04	Minnesota Wild	NHL		82	15	34	49	12		—	—	—	—	—
2005-06	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		82	24	39	63	48		9	3	6	9	8
2006-07	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		82	27	56	83	36		—	—	—	—	—
2007-08	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		82	19	40	59	14		10	5	3	8	2
2008-09	Minnesota Wild	NHL		80	22	28	50	18		—	—	—	—	—
2009-10	Minnesota Wild	NHL		82	25	36	61	12		—	—	—	—	—
2010-11	Minnesota Wild	NHL		82	18	28	46	16		—	—	—	—	—
2011-12	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		78	12	15	27	4		6	1	0	1	0
NHL totals				1110	268	465	733	314		49	17	18	35	14

[ Source: Wikipedia ]