NEWS

JOEL PRPIC - ALLAN CUP HOCKEY’S GRAND AMBASSADOR

By: Andrew Masters, OHA Media
Photos: Lyan Photography
(Originally published in the 2017-18 OHA Annual Report)
 
On any given Friday night at the Brantford Civic Centre, fans can’t help but notice the behemoth wearing No. 29 for their hometown Brantford Blast.

A quick check of the roster to find the name of this six-foot-seven forward will uncover that more than just Joel Prpic’s size stands out – he is also the oldest player on the Blast, up to two decades older than some of his teammates.  

His story stands out, too. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins straight out of Junior B, and even played some games in the NHL. His reason to join the Blast a half-dozen seasons ago was to prepare to play for his national team. He has had a professional career that spans fifteen years and three continents. So, it stands out that he is a great ambassador for Allan Cup Hockey.
 
Prpic’s first time suiting up for a franchise within the Ontario Hockey Association pre-dates the first time he skated in a Blast sweater. While many elite players sought a major junior pathway, a teenaged Prpic had his eye on an alternative route south of the border. 

“I never really wanted to play in the OHL,” Prpic says. My coach growing up played for (NCAA Division 1) Lake Superior State and from the time I was ten years old I wanted to play U.S. college hockey. I knew it was the path I wanted. I knew it was going to be better for me”

Prpic was given an opportunity to be a key member of the Waterloo Siskins of the Mid-Western Junior B League in 1992-93, where he hoped to be showcased to the NCAA. The eighteen-year old would reach his goal and commit to St. Lawrence University for the coming fall, but another honour would be earned that summer by the Sudbury native. Prpic would hear his name called by the Boston Bruins in the ninth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
 
After four great years with St. Lawrence, where Prpic forged lifelong relationships, it was off to the North American professional ranks.  

While he played over a dozen games with the Boston Bruins and got to be a “black ace” with the 2001 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, Prpic spent most of his time in the American Hockey League, including winning the 1999 Calder Cup with the Providence Bruins. 
 
Financial stability led Prpic overseas, first to a seven-year stint in Japan, then to a country of personal significance. A man of of Croatian heritage, Medvescak Zagreb was the next stop in Prpic’s globe-trotting career, suiting up for the professional franchise based in the country’s capital.  

Given his family lineage and his new Croatian address, Prpic was able to become fully Croatian. Once the immigration process and mandatory requirements for international competition were fulfilled, he was able to dress for the national side.
 
While the Croatians were able to enjoy modest international success during Prpic’s first Division 2A World Championship by winning a bronze medal, the former NHL player shone at that level of competition. With an impressive thirteen points over five games, Prpic led not just Croatia, but the entire tournament in scoring.  

However, the player in his late-30s knew he needed to plan for his career after hockey. A fantastic offer surfaced to join the city of Cambridge as a firefighter; an offer that came after his first application. “It was too good of an opportunity to pass up,” recalls Prpic.

But he knew that leaving the game entirely was not in the cards; Prpic wanted to play in Croatia’s international tournament the next year. That was all he planned to play.  

However, after several requests from close friend Mike Burgoyne, he thought some local games, at a high, amateur level would be appropriate. The team had to be understanding of his new priorities of family and a new profession of firefighting, and he would only play to get in shape to play again for Croatia.
 
After nineteen seasons away, Joel Prpic was back in the OHA as a member of the 2012-13 Brantford Blast.

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Prpic captained the Croatians to a championship that year on home soil and earned a promotion into Division 1B. He decided to continue his hockey career, but his stint with the national side was over. He reported to the Blast for that season. And the next. And the next three after that.  

An organization he joined just to stay in shape before an overseas tournament evolved into a career of six years and counting at the Blast’s Allan Cup level for the 43-year-old.
 
There is one person in the Blast organization that Prpic cannot credit enough for his incredibly positive experience with Brantford – owner Peter Ham. 

“[Ham is] a phenomenal owner,” Prpric says. “He’s very honest.  He really understands what Senior AAA is […] that it’s not our job anymore.” 
 
To a fan’s perspective, what Senior AAA hockey is has changed over recent years. The league has evolved from a physical, roughneck style of hockey to one of speed, skill and smarts. It’s a league that is now underrated, and those that know Prpic have taken note.  

“Almost anyone I bring out to a game, whether it is to watch or to play, is always pleasantly surprised at how high the calibre of play is,” he says.  

Recent rule changes have helped too. Only dressing nine forwards has meant that all forwards are skilled players able to contribute. It has also meant more playing time for all, pleasing Prpic, who likes getting as much ice time as possible.  

It is a league that balances dedication and the sheer pleasure of amateur hockey. Prpic, playing well into his forties, finds this balance as a reason to return to the Blast each fall.

“[I like] the guys in the dressing room, hanging out with the guys, being competitive; that the games still mean something, being competitive still and trying to win an Allan Cup. I like that there is a purpose.” Prpic doesn’t find that his passion for the level is dwindling either.  “As long as I’m enjoying it, and my body can take it, I will play for [the Blast].”
 
While Senior AAA Hockey isn’t professional, it is a level that demands players to be engaged when they show up to play, regardless of experience.  

“There are sometimes players who have played a high level of pro hockey and think they are going to come back and absolutely light it up,” Prpic says.  

Naturally, Prpic has evolved into a leader for the Blast. He is a player that sets the culture for the Blast and preserves the integrity and competitiveness of the team.

“No one is going to work so insanely hard like it is their job and I get that. Guys get that. However, you have to show up and do the work. That is what’s going to make us win. That is what’s going to make us successful.” Prpic says that this mindset has helped the Blast in his tenure, specifically crediting the leading scorer of the team, Derek Medeiros, as someone who has had success buying in to team culture.
 
Someday, Joel Prpic will take off a competitive hockey jersey for the last time.  When that happens (or, at this rate, if it ever happens), something will be missing from fans on Friday nights at the Brantford Civic Centre. The void will be felt by the entire organization and all of Allan Cup Hockey, because while he stands out physically, Prpic stands out even more as a fantastic ambassador for Senior AAA hockey.

BIO: JOEL PRPIC
Birthday: Sep 25, 1974
Hometown: Sudbury, ON
Position: Forward
Height: 6’7”   Weight: 235 pounds
NHL Draft: Boston Bruins (round 9 #233 overall 1993 NHL Entry Draft)

Click here to view Joel Prpic’s profile on EliteProspects.com