Andy Brickley

Andrew Brickley
Born	(1961-08-09) August 9, 1961 Melrose, Massachusetts, United States
Occupation(s)	Professional ice hockey player (retired), Sports broadcaster
Years active	1982–1996 (player), 1996–present (broadcaster)
Known for	NHL player, Boston Bruins color commentator on NESN

Andrew Brickley (born August 9, 1961) is a retired American professional hockey athlete who competed for 14 seasons across the National Hockey League, American Hockey League, and the International Hockey League. Presently, he works as the color commentator for the Boston Bruins on the New England Sports Network.

Amateur

Brickley developed his hockey skills during his youth in Melrose, Massachusetts, where he took part in the 1974 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament and earned recognition as a Middlesex League All-Star. In addition to hockey, he distinguished himself in baseball at Melrose High School, serving as team captain in his senior year and receiving Division 1 North All-Star honors.

Although initially accepted at Trinity and Middlebury colleges due to his father's preferences, Brickley chose to pursue Division I hockey by joining the University of New Hampshire's team as a walk-on. Between 1979 and 1982, he emerged as a key contributor for the Wildcats, accumulating 68 goals and 69 assists in 93 games. He led the squad to the NCAA Final Four in 1982 and was honored as a first-team NCAA All-American that same year. Additionally, Brickley represented the United States on the National Junior Team in 1981.

Besides hockey, Brickley was a dual-sport competitor at UNH, also playing baseball and earning first-team NCAA All-American distinction in 1982. He continued participating in semi-professional baseball during the early phase of his pro hockey career, helping the Augustine A’s secure five championships over seven years before concluding his baseball tenure with the Melrose Rams in 1986.

Professional

Selected last overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, Brickley became only the second player after Gerry Meehan to reach the NHL after being chosen last. His NHL debut occurred during the 1982–83 NHL season with Philadelphia.

In October 1983, Brickley was traded by the Flyers to the Pittsburgh Penguins alongside Ron Flockhart, Mark Taylor, and two draft picks from 1984 in exchange for Rich Sutter and two other draft selections that same year. Over two seasons with Pittsburgh, he played 95 games, registering 25 goals and 35 assists. A brief stint with the Baltimore Skipjacks of the American Hockey League (AHL) followed after a curfew violation led to his demotion.

The New Jersey Devils acquired Brickley in 1985 and assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, for the 1985–86 season. There, he tallied 26 goals and 34 assists across 60 games, ranking fourth on the team. Making his Devils NHL debut in 1986, he appeared in 96 games over two seasons with totals of 19 goals and 26 assists. In 1987, he sustained a facial injury that required thirty stitches. After being placed on waivers following the 1987–88 NHL season, Brickley went unclaimed during the 1988 NHL Waiver Draft, was sent down to the Utica Devils, then was picked up by the Boston Bruins.

During the 1988–89 NHL season, Brickley participated in 71 games for Boston, contributing 13 goals and 22 assists while demonstrating flexibility by playing left wing, center, and right wing positions. In December of that year, he suffered another facial injury but still managed to score a goal credited from a slapshot deflection.

In the following season (1989–90 season), Brickley appeared poised for his most productive year before injuries impeded his progress. He scored his first goal on October 26 and recorded his inaugural career hat trick against his former team New Jersey; however, a leg injury soon limited his mobility. Additional absences were caused by a thigh muscle strain and a diagnosis of myositis ossificans. Despite these challenges, he made a brief return during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

After undergoing leg surgery in July 1990 and missing training camp, Brickley struggled to regain form. He was placed on waivers in December; when unclaimed, he was reassigned to Maine where he excelled with 25 points in just 17 games before receiving a short recall to Boston. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury in February sidelined him again.

Starting the 1991–92 NHL season as captain of Maine’s team, Brickley returned to Boston in October following strong performances. He amassed 19 points over his initial eleven games back but then suffered a torn rotator cuff requiring surgery. Although he rejoined play mid-February, he finished that season back in Maine as Boston prioritized younger talent. Despite injuries, Brickley maintained popularity among fans due to his determination.

Following Boston’s release of him, Brickley signed a two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets, beginning with their AHL affiliate, the Moncton Hawks. During eleven NHL games called up to Winnipeg, he scored two points and contributed one goal plus one assist during playoff action. In AHL play that season, he recorded 15 goals and 36 assists over 38 games while leading league shooting percentage despite recovering from another rotator cuff injury.

For the 1994–95 NHL season, Brickley joined the New York Islanders but did not appear for them; instead, he was assigned to play with the International Hockey League’s Denver Grizzlies. Overcoming knee problems, he scored fifty points across fifty-eight games and played an instrumental role in Denver’s back-to-back Turner Cup championships through strong playoff contributions before retiring in 1996.

Looking back on his career years later, Brickley described himself as an underdog who persevered: "I was always a B team player growing up... I was the NHL's version of Mr. Irrelevant and I happily played 13 years."

Broadcasting career

Brickley embarked on his broadcasting journey with the Grizzlies, stepping into the booth during a period of injury. In 1996, he was recruited by WBZ Radio to succeed Barry Pederson as the Bruins' color analyst. The next year, UPN 38 named Brickley as the successor to Derek Sanderson for Bruins television coverage. By 2000, he had joined NESN, initially handling commentary for away games alongside former Bruins goaltender Gerry Cheevers and play-by-play announcer Dave Shea. Starting with the 2005–06 season, Brickley took on the role of calling all games, collaborating with Jack Edwards for road broadcasts and Dale Arnold for home games. From 2007–08 through the 2023–24 season, he and Edwards were the voices behind every NESN Bruins telecast. Brickley also contributed color commentary for Versus and occasionally appeared as a guest analyst for NHL contests on NBCSN. Beginning in the 2024–25 season, he has been paired with Judd Sirott in announcing Bruins matchups.

Brickley is well-known for his signature phrase "get their skating game going" and is respected for his perceptive insights during difficult periods faced by the Bruins.

In 2018, he debuted On Course With Andy Brickley on NESN, a program where he interviews athletes and prominent personalities while engaging in golf. That same year, the show earned a New England Emmy Award in the Sports Interview/Discussion category.

Personal life

Residing in Hingham, Massachusetts, Brickley lives with his wife and their two daughters. His wife, Diane Brickley, holds a position on the board of directors for Good Sports, an organization dedicated to providing sports equipment to community programs serving underprivileged youth. A fan of the Boston Red Sox, Brickley enjoys golfing and solving crossword puzzles during his leisure time. In 2020, he and his spouse acquired a summer residence on Nantucket.

Athletic prowess is a family trait: Brickley's grandfather, George Brickley, played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1913; his great-uncle was football player and coach Charles Brickley. His younger brother Quintin competed in hockey at the University of New Hampshire. Nephews Connor Brickley and Daniel Brickley both pursued careers in ice hockey, with Connor representing the University of Vermont and Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Career statistics

... [Table continues unchanged] ...

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1979–80	New Hampshire Wildcats	ECAC		27	15	17	32	8		—	—	—	—	—
1980–81	New Hampshire Wildcats	ECAC		31	27	25	52	16		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	New Hampshire Wildcats	ECAC		35	26	27	53	6		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Maine Mariners	AHL		76	29	54	83	10		17	9	5	14	0
1982–83	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		3	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Baltimore Skipjacks	AHL		4	0	5	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
Springfield Indians	AHL	7		1	5	6	2
NHL totals				385	82	140	222	81		17	1	4	5	4

Awards and distinctions

Hockey

Honor	Year
All-ECAC Hockey First Team	1981–82
AHCA East All-American	1981–82
First Team All New England	1981–82
Inductee, Melrose High School Athletics Hall of Fame	1988
Turner Cup Title Winner	1994–95
Turner Cup Title Winner	1995–96
Inductee, University of New Hampshire Athletics Hall of Fame	1998

Baseball

Honor	Year
NCAA First Team All-American	1981–82

External links

• Boston Bruins Alumni Collaboration with Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress
• NESN biography