from Chris Pinkert of the Blues website,

"I'm going to miss the relationships that I was able to make over the years with guys on my teams and their families," Brouwer said. "Playing this game, you always get to meet new people, you always get to have experiences with those people and a lot of those you'll carry with you for the rest of your life. I'm going to miss that competitiveness, and I'm going to miss those big moments where you have an opportunity to do something amazing after you've worked your whole life to get to that moment."

It all started for the Vancouver, BC native back in 2004. Brouwer wasn't projected to be a high draft pick, so he wasn't even in attendance for the 2004 NHL Draft in Carolina when his name was called by the Blackhawks in the seventh round (No. 214 overall).

"The one thing I remember was my dad running into by bedroom, still in his underwear in the morning, and he said 'You just got drafted by Chicago," Brouwer recalled. "I jumped out of bed and waited by the phone because I knew my agent was going to call. It was one of the best wake-up calls I've ever had."

more