Brent Seabrook offers young Calgary Flames blueliners an invaluable resource
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The young Calgary Flames prospect grew up watching Brent Seabrook back when the longtime Chicago Blackhawks blueliner was one of the NHL's top defencemen.
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So seeing him at Flames development camp last week was a real 'Welcome to the NHL' moment, especially as it came just a few short days after Phillips had been selected in the third round, 80th overall, of the 2025 NHL Draft.
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'I go up to him and go 'What's up Seebs?' and he goes 'What's up big fella?'' Philips said with a big smile. 'It was so cool just to see him, with the history he had in the NHL and just kind of learning from him and getting tips on picking up pucks off walls.'
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There will be many more conversations between Seabrook and the rest of the Flames' prized defensive prospects in the coming years and they'll probably be a lot more in-depth than saying 'What's up?'
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The 40-year-old was added to the organization's player development staff at the end of June.
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Since retiring in 2021, Seabrook had been working with the WHL's Vancouver Giants, first as an assistant coach and then as a development coach. He was also part of Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence management group for the under-20 team.
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That will all help, but make no mistake, Seabrook's wealth of experience as a top-pairing NHL defenceman is a big part of the appeal for a Flames team that has a couple high-end blueline prospects — most notably Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, Etienne Morin and Phillips — coming up.
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'When you speak to him, he thinks it differently, you know?' Flames GM Craig Conroy said. 'I'm a forward, I played centre, so I think the game one way. But when you hear him talking about stick position, feet position, how you defend your gaps, I'm like 'Really, all that?'
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'And he's so passionate about it. He wants to help the young guys. He wants to help the Calgary Flames get better. Like he said to me, 'I've been fortunate to win Stanley Cups. I'd love to win one with the Calgary Flames, too.' He's really excited and ready to go.'
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Experience alone should make Seabrook a valuable part of the Flames development team. We're talking about a guy who played in 1,114 NHL games, won three Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medal.
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If you're a guy like Parekh, who is at the start of his journey going from a superstar in junior to a guy who is trying to establish himself in the NHL, having someone like Seabrook around is only going to help.
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