Damien Brunner

Last updated
Damien Brunner
Damien Brunner - New Jersey Devils.jpg
Brunner with the Devils in 2014
Born (1986-03-09) March 9, 1986 (age 38)
Kloten, Switzerland
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Right
NL team
Former teams		 EHC Biel
Kloten Flyers
HC Thurgau
EV Zug
Detroit Red Wings
New Jersey Devils
HC Lugano
National teamFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2006–present

Damien Brunner (born March 9, 1986) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey forward who last played for EHC Biel of the National League (NL). He has also played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings and the New Jersey Devils.

Contents

Playing career

Brunner as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Damien Brunner 2013 01 21.jpg
Brunner as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.

Brunner was born in Kloten, Switzerland, on March 9, 1986. [1] As a youth, he played in the 1999 and 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a team from Zürich. [2]

He played for the Kloten Flyers of the National League A in 2006–07 and 2007–08. In 2008–09, he moved to EV Zug. In 2011–12, Brunner had 60 points in 45 games. He led the NLA in points and was named the league's forward of the year. [3]

On July 1, 2012, Brunner signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. [4] He then returned to EV Zug for the 2012–13 season [3] until the 2012–13 NHL lockout was resolved, where he started the shortened season with the Red Wings. He netted the game-winning shootout goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets, in his second game with the Red Wings. He scored his first NHL goal the next day against Kari Lehtonen of the Dallas Stars. [5]

Brunner played in the 2010 IIHF World Championship as a member of the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team. [6]

After turning down two and three-year contract offers from the Detroit Red Wings, Brunner became an Unrestricted Free Agent. On September 16, 2013 he was signed by the New Jersey Devils on a pro tryout contract and attended the team's training camp. On September 24, 2013, he was signed by the New Jersey Devils to a two-year, $5 million contract. [7]

On December 5, 2014, the Devils placed Brunner on waivers after he was benched for the entire third period in a 5-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 4. He cleared waivers the following day. He had 2 goals and 5 assists in 17 games. With little interest in playing in the American Hockey League, Brunner agreed to mutually terminate his contract with the Devils and on December 12, 2014, he returned to Switzerland where he signed a five-year contract with HC Lugano worth CHF 6 million. [8]

Near the end of the 2017–18 regular season, Brunner broke his leg, forcing him to sit out the end of the regular season as well as the playoffs.

On May 19, 2018, Brunner and HC Lugano parted ways - with one year remaining on his contract - and immediately signed a two-year deal worth CHF 2 million with EHC Biel. [9]

On August 26, 2019, Brunner was signed to an early three-year contract extension by Biel through the 2022–23 season.

After more than six seasons in Biel, Brunner was limited to only six games due to injury in 2024-25 and announced his retirement on January 24, 2025. [10]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2002–03 Kloten Flyers SUI U2061010—————
2003–04Kloten FlyersSUI U202195148—————
2004–05Kloten FlyersSUI U204333245762961726
2005–06Kloten FlyersSUI U201813253828—————
2005–06 EHC Winterthur SUI.3 1718112928756114
2006–07 Kloten Flyers NLA 42991822111014
2007–08 Kloten FlyersNLA50527650000
2008–09 Kloten FlyersNLA120002—————
2008–09 HC Thurgau NLB 31344—————
2008–09 EV Zug NLA3512142616103254
2009–10 EV ZugNLA47233558221355106
2010–11 EV ZugNLA401927463484482
2011–12 EV ZugNLA45243660489311146
2012–13 EV ZugNLA3325325749—————
2012–13 Detroit Red Wings NHL 4412142612145494
2013–14 New Jersey Devils NHL6011142526—————
2014–15 New Jersey DevilsNHL172578—————
2014–15 HC Lugano NLA20115163030110
2015–16 HC LuganoNLA361321341814771412
2016–17 HC LuganoNLA33818264520112
2017–18 HC LuganoNL2477148—————
2018–19 EHC Biel NL5018193722125494
2019–20 EHC BielNL2398174—————
2020–21 EHC BielNL291114254321010
2021–22 EHC BielNL442123442241010
NL totals5632152704853899330356540
NHL totals12125335846145494

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2010 Switzerland WC 5th71452
2012 SwitzerlandWC11th73476
2014 Switzerland OG 9th40000
2014 SwitzerlandWC10th73364
2015 SwitzerlandWC8th81458
2017 SwitzerlandWC6th72134
Senior totals4010162624

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References

  1. ↑ "Damien Brunner". redwings.nhl.com. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
  3. 1 2 "Damien Brunner". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Red Wings sign Swiss forward Damien Brunner". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  5. ↑ "Lehtonen and Stars hold off Red Wings 2-1". nhl.com. Retrieved 2013-01-22.
  6. ↑ IIHF (2010). IIHF Media Guide & Record Book 2011. Moydart Press. p. 181. ISBN   978-0-9867964-0-1.
  7. ↑ "Devils sign Brunner to multi-year contract". National Hockey League. 2013-09-24. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
  8. ↑ "Lugano agree to terms with Damien Brunner" (in Italian). HC Lugano. 2014-12-12. Archived from the original on 2014-12-13. Retrieved 2014-12-12.
  9. ↑ "Damien Brunner leaves HC Lugano for EHC Biel". swisshockeynews.ch. 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
  10. ↑ "Ex-Wing, Devil Retires In Switzerland". The Hockey News . 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
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