Damien Brunner
Damien Brunner | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 9, 1986 Switzerland |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey forward (retired) |
| Years active | 2006–2025 |
| Known for | Playing in National League (NL) and National Hockey League (NHL) |
Damien Brunner (born March 9, 1986) is a retired Swiss professional ice hockey forward who last competed for EHC Biel in the National League (NL). His career also included stints in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils.
Playing career
Brunner initiated his professional journey with the Kloten Flyers during the 2006–07 season before transferring to EV Zug in 2008–09. He distinguished himself in the 2011–12 season by leading the NLA with 60 points over 45 games, which earned him the title of Forward of the Year.
On July 1, 2012, Brunner inked a one-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings. However, due to the NHL lockout in 2012–13, he returned to EV Zug for that season. Once the lockout ended, he joined Detroit and quickly contributed crucial goals early in the abbreviated NHL campaign.
Brunner also represented Switzerland at the 2010 IIHF World Championship.
After declining offers for multi-year contracts from Detroit, he entered unrestricted free agency and signed a professional tryout contract with the New Jersey Devils in September 2013. Soon after, he secured a two-year contract worth $5 million.
In December 2014, following limited ice time and modest production (2 goals and 5 assists across 17 games), Brunner was waived and subsequently cleared waivers. Choosing not to play in the AHL, he mutually agreed to terminate his contract with New Jersey and signed a five-year contract valued at CHF 6 million with HC Lugano.
A leg injury late in the 2017–18 NL season prevented him from participating in the playoffs. On May 19, 2018, Brunner departed from Lugano despite having one year remaining on his deal, signing a two-year contract worth CHF 2 million with EHC Biel. On August 26, 2019, Biel extended his agreement by an additional three years through the conclusion of the 2022–23 season.
Following more than six seasons with Biel, recurring injuries restricted him to just six games during the 2024–25 season, leading to his retirement announcement on January 24, 2025.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2002–03 | Kloten Flyers | SUI U20 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Kloten Flyers | SUI U20 | 21 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Kloten Flyers | SUI U20 | 43 | 33 | 24 | 57 | 62 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 26 | ||
| 2005–06 | Kloten Flyers | SUI U20 | 18 | 13 | 25 | 38 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | EHC Winterthur | SUI.3 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 29 | 28 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Kloten Flyers | NLA | 42 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 22 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | Kloten Flyers | NLA | 50 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | ||
|
2008–09 NLA season | Kloten Flyers | NLA | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
2008–09 | HC Thurgau | National League B | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |- |
2008–09 | EV Zug | NLA | 35 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
2009–10 NLA season | EV Zug | NLA | 47 | 23 | 35 | 58 | 22 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 6 |- |
2010–11 NLA season | EV Zug | NLA | 40 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 34 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
2011–12 NLA season| EV Zug| NLA| 45| 24| 36| 60| 48| 9| 3| 11| 14| 6 |- |
2012–13 NLA season| EV Zug| NLA| 33| 25| 32| 57| 49| —| —| —| —| — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
2012–13 NHL season| Detroit Red Wings| National Hockey League| 44| 12| 14| 26| 12| 14| 5| 4| 9| 4 |- |
2013–14 NHL season| New Jersey Devils| NHL| 60| 11| 14| 25| 26| —| —| —| —| — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
|
New Jersey Devils | NHL | 17 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
NLA | 20 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |- |
HC Lugano | NLA | 36 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 18 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 12 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
HC Lugano| NLA| 33| 8| 18| 26| 45| 2| 0| 1| 1| 2 |- |
HC Lugano| NL| 24| 7| 7| 14| 8| —| —| —| —| — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
|
EHC Biel | NL | 50 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 |- |
EHC Biel| NL| 23| 9| 8| 17| 4| —| —| —| —| — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
EHC Biel| NL| 29| 11| 14| 25| 43| 2| 1| 0| 1| 0 |- |
EHC Biel| NL| 44| 21| 23| 44| 22| 4| 1| 0| 1| 0 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" |
NL totals | 563 | 215 | 270 | 485 | 389 | 93 | 30 | 35 | 65 | 40 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHL totals | 121 | 25 | 33 | 58 | 46 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | ||||||
International
| Year | Nation | Competition | Placement | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | Penalty Minutes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Switzerland | WC | 5th place | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Switzerland | WC | 11th place | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | |
| 2014 | Switzerland | OG | 9th place | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Switzerland | WC | 10th place | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
| 2015 | Switzerland | WC | 8th place | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | |
| 2017 | Switzerland | WC | 6th place | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Career senior statistics | 40 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 24 | ||||
External links
- 1986 births
- Living people
- Detroit Red Wings players
- EHC Biel players
- EHC Bülach players
- EV Zug players
- HC Lugano players
- HC Thurgau players
- Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics
- EHC Kloten players
- New Jersey Devils players
- Olympic ice hockey players for Switzerland
- Swiss expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
- Swiss ice hockey left wingers
- Undrafted National Hockey League players
- People from Bülach District
- Ice hockey people from the canton of Zurich
- 21st-century Swiss sportsmen