Brent Sopel

On Episode 17 of Crunch Chronicles Lukas Favale is joined by Brent Sopel. Sopel began his pro career with the Crunch and played three full seasons in Syracuse during the Vancouver Canucks affiliation. Sopel totaled three regular season games for the Crunch during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons before beginning his pro career in earnest as a rookie during the 1997-98 campaign. The defenseman piled up 43 points in 76 games for the Crunch before adding on seven points in five playoff games. He followed that with 31 points in 53 games in 1998-99, while also making his NHL debut with the Canucks that season. He ended his tenure with the Crunch in 1999-00, producing another 31 points in 50 games to help the Crunch return to the playoffs. Sopel ended his Crunch career having played in 182 games, recording 105 points (26g, 79a). He is one of five Crunch defensemen to reach 100 points in a Crunch sweater.  Sopel went on to play 658 NHL games for Vancouver, the New York Islanders, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Montreal. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010. Sopel spent three seasons in the KHL before returning to North American for one season with the Chicago Wolves in 2014-15.   Sopel, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as an adult, founded the Brent Sopel Foundation, which is dedicated to providing financial and educational assistance to help students with dyslexia fulfill their potential through early detection and intervention. More information is available at www.brentsopelfoundation.org/.  On the show, Sopel discusses his time with the Crunch, his work away from hockey and much more.