David Broll looks for pastures new

Coventry Blaze’s David Broll has confirmed he’ll be leaving the side to pursue a job as a firefighter in his native Canada.

He last appeared for the club in November 2021 when he made his 54th and final Elite League appearance.

He’s bagged nine goals and 12 assists in 40 appearances in his two spells for the Blaze.

Broll said of the decision: “This is something I’ve been working at the last couple of years with resumes and courses and volunteer experiences which lead to me getting the opportunity for an interview.

“I didn’t know where it was going to take me, I did the first interview and after that is when I started telling some of the guys I was living with”.

He continued: “I didn’t want to blindside anybody”.

The Canadian has made appearances for many big clubs including Toronto Marlies, Syracruse Crunch, St. John’s IceCaps and Laval Rockets. 

He also got selected for the ECHL’s All-star game in 2014/15 and was most recently voted Clubman of the Year for the Blaze in 2019/20.

It seems he has been noticed in the firefighting world just as much as in the ice hockey world.

“I think there was around 900 to 1000 applicants, and they were hiring between 15 and 20 people”.

Broll told Ed Kimberley and Stu Coles for the Blaze’s podcast on their website.

Head Coach Danny Stewart spoke about losing Broll, saying: “To lose him is a big loss on and off the ice, he’s part of our leadership team”.

He continued, saying: “Life after hockey is quite daunting for some of these guys, so I’d like to think that us as a staff and an organisation are not just invested in these guys as hockey players but as people too”.

Needless to say he’ll be a big loss for the Blaze, who will look to fill the sizeable hole he’s left at the club.