Brennan Menell

Brennan Menell
Menell at the 2020 AHL All-Star Game
Born	(1997-05-24) May 24, 1997 (age 27) Woodbury, Minnesota, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Right
KHL team Former teams	Dynamo Moscow Minnesota Wild Dinamo Minsk
NHL draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2017–present

Brennan Menell (born May 24, 1997) is an American-Russian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing under contract with HC Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In July 2023, he received Russian citizenship.[1][2]

Playing career

Undrafted, Menell played for the Vancouver Giants and Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Western Hockey League before signing as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild on a three-year, entry-level contract after impressing on an invitation to attend training camp on September 26, 2017, having been undrafted in the NHL Entry Draft.[3]

In his final year of his entry-level contract with the Wild, Menell was reassigned to AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, for the third consecutive year. In the 2019–20 season, Menell established a career high with 47 points in 57 games for Iowa, finishing second among AHL defensemen in scoring and first in assists with 42. As Iowa's franchise record-holder in nearly all offensive categories for blueliners, with 101 assists and 116 points in 199 games over his AHL career, Menell was selected to the AHL First All-Star Team.[4] During the season, he was recalled by the Wild and made his NHL debut against the Anaheim Ducks on December 10, 2019.[5][6] He featured in 5 games with the Wild, going scoreless.

As an impending restricted free agent with the Minnesota Wild and with the uncertainty of a delayed commencement of the 2020–21 North American season, Menell opted to sign abroad by signing a one-year contract with Belarusian club, HC Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), on August 29, 2020.[7]

On July 28, 2021, his signing rights were acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Minnesota Wild for a 7th round draft pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.[8] He was then signed a one-year, two-way, $750,000 contract with Toronto on August 1, 2021.[9] On March 23, 2022, a day after the trade deadline, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for future considerations.[10] He completed the season playing with the Flyers AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, collecting 6 assists through 18 games.

As a free agent from the Flyers, Menell opted to return to the KHL after securing a one-year contract with Russian club, HC Dynamo Moscow, for the 2022–23 season on September 19, 2022.[11]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014–15	Vancouver Giants	WHL		57	2	19	21	16		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Vancouver Giants	WHL		69	7	46	53	36		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Lethbridge Hurricanes	WHL		70	12	59	71	29		20	5	12	17	10
2017–18	Iowa Wild	AHL		72	8	17	25	14		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Iowa Wild	AHL		70	2	42	44	25		11	0	4	4	4
2019–20	Iowa Wild	AHL		57	5	42	47	36		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Minnesota Wild	NHL		5	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Dinamo Minsk	KHL		47	5	33	38	60		5	1	6	7	0
2021–22	Toronto Marlies	AHL		20	1	4	5	15		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Lehigh Valley Phantoms	AHL		18	0	6	6	19		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Dynamo Moscow	KHL		44	2	22	24	6		6	0	3	3	2
2023–24	Dynamo Moscow	KHL		66	8	37	45	12		10	0	12	12	2
NHL totals				5	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
KHL totals				157	15	92	107	78		21	1	21	22	4

Awards and honors

Award	Year
AHL
All-Star Game	2020	[12]
First All-Star Team	2020	[4]

References

1. "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 27.07.2023 № 554 "О приеме в гражданство Российской Федерации"". pravo.gov.ru (in Russian). 2023-07-27.
2. "Brennan Menell: I want to talk Russian as Dietz does". Kontinental Hockey League. August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
3. "Minnesota Wild Recalls Defenseman Brennan Menell From Iowa". Iowa Wild. 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
4. "2019-20 AHL First, Second All-Star Team announced". American Hockey League. May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
5. McLellan, Sarah (2019-11-01). "Woodbury's Brennan Menell to make NHL debut with Wild vs. Ducks". StarTribune.com. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
6. Mizutani, Dane (9 December 2019). "Woodbury's Brennan Menell fulfills lifelong dream with Wild – Twin Cities". Twincities.com. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
7. "An agreement is reached to sign Brennan Menell" (in Belarusian). HC Dinamo Minsk. August 29, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
8. "Maple Leafs acquire Brennan Menell in trade with Wild". Toronto Maple Leafs. July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
9. "Maple Leafs sign defenceman Brennan Menell to one-year, two-way contract". Sportsnet.ca. August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
10. "Brennan Menell traded to the Philadelphia Flyers". American Hockey League. March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
11. "Brennan Menell signs with the Blue and White" (in Russian). HC Dynamo Moscow. September 19, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
12. "Bracco, Liljegren added to All-Star roster". American Hockey League. 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2020-02-01.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database