Evan Brooks Laich (born June 23, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Laich started playing minor hockey in his hometown of Wawota, Saskatchewan. This article delves into his career, from his early days in the Western Hockey League (WHL) to his time in the NHL and his international play.
Early Career
Laich started his junior hockey career with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL) during the 2000-01 season. He played in 71 games with the Warriors, scoring nine goals and adding 21 assists. Laich was a dedicated student in Moose Jaw, being awarded the club's Scholastic Player of the Year for the 2000-01 season.
After the season, he was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the sixth round, 193rd overall, of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He started the 2001-02 season with the Warriors, but was traded to the Seattle Thunderbirds along with Tomáš Mojžíš for Craig Olynick and Stas Avksentiev. Laich spent the rest of his junior career with the Thunderbirds.
NHL Career
Laich was originally drafted by the Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, and was later traded to the Capitals as part of the package for Peter Bondra.
Washington Capitals
During the 2005-06 season, Laich played in 104 regular season and playoff games between the Capitals and their new AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears; this tied him for the most games played in the organization with Boyd Gordon. After training camp, he started the season in the AHL, but was optimistic about his chances to play in the NHL, saying, "You've just got to work hard.
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Laich played in all 82 games for the Capitals during the 2007-08 season, and set career highs in goals, assists and points. His 21 goals ranked third overall on the team. He led the Capitals with two short handed goals, and played in his 200th career regular season game.
After a two-goal game against the Atlanta Thrashers, Laich summed up his philosophy towards scoring: "If you want money, go to the bank. If you want bread, go to the bakery. If you want goals, go to the net."
During the playoffs, Laich had a five-game point streak in the Eastern Conference quarter-finals against the Philadelphia Flyers.
During the 2010-11 season, the Capitals participated in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh. Leading up to the game, both teams were featured on HBO's 24/7, which offered a behind-the-scenes look at both teams as they prepared. Laich refused to blame the presence of the cameras for the team's losing streak, saying, "There's no using the HBO cameras as a crutch or an annoyance or anything like that. There's no excuse.
As the player representative for the Washington Capitals during the 2012 NHL-NHLPA CBA negotiations, Laich stated in support of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) that, "At some point you have to dig your heels in and fight. If we don't this time, then what happens next? Appeasement only makes the aggressor more aggressive, and the players really understand that.
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In the 2015-16 season, Laich's offensive production rapidly declined, while his $4.5 million cap hit stuck out as one of the only adverse aspects of a league-leading Capitals squad. On February 27, 2016, the Capitals placed Laich on waivers for the purpose of sending him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The following day, on the eve of the trade deadline, Laich, along with Connor Carrick and a second round selection (Carl Grundström) in the 2016 draft, were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, his boyhood team, in exchange for Daniel Winnik and a fifth round pick (Beck Malenstyn) in the 2016 draft. The purpose of the trade was to give the Capitals salary cap relief to use toward younger core player contracts that needed re-signing the following off-season.
Capitals GM Brian Maclellan called the trade, when asked, the hardest thing he had done as General Manager of the team. Laich had been the longest tenured active professional Washington-area athlete at the time of the trade, concluding his career of 12 years with the franchise.
In what easily stands as the most emotional trade in Capitals history since Laich was dealt to Washington in a package for Peter Bondra, one journalist wrote "It's ironic that money is what ultimately forced the Caps to move Laich.
Laich returned to Washington a few days later where the Capitals honored the centreman with a video tribute during the first period and a long standing ovation from the hometown fans and his former teammates. The Maple Leafs would lose the game 3-2.
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Los Angeles Kings
As a free agent from the Maple Leafs, Laich was unsigned over the summer. He later accepted a try-out contract to attend the Los Angeles Kings' training camp. Despite suffering an early injury, Laich returned to impress in the preseason, however was ultimately released prior to the 2017-18 season.
International Career
Laich debuted with Team Canada at the 2003 World Junior Championships, which were held in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In a game against Sweden, Laich scored Canada's first goal of the tournament. He scored two goals and added four assists in six games at the tournament, where Canada won a silver medal. According to his father, Harold, his son had always dreamed of playing for Canada.
Laich's next experience with Team Canada came at the 2010 World Championships. He scored one goal in seven games as Canada finished seventh. During the tournament in a game against Russia, Laich raised the ire of his Capitals' teammate Semyon Varlamov for slashing and cross-checking Alexander Ovechkin. Varlamov said of Laich's play, "...Brooks Laich was constantly trying to slash and cross-check him (Ovechkin) as painful [sic] as possible.
Playing Style and Impact
In 2009, Capitals' Head Coach Bruce Boudreau believed that Laich had not yet reached his full potential, saying, "...I still don't think we've seen the best of Brooks.
Laich is a hard worker, and dedicated to his team, saying, "If I asked you about your family, you would talk about them forever because it's something you love. That's the way I feel about this team. This team is my life, and I love playing here and I'm passionate about playing hockey.
Laich received national media attention when he stopped to help two stranded Capitals fans change their flat tire after a Game 7 loss in the 2010 playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens. When he came across the woman and her teenaged daughter stranded on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, Laich stopped to install their spare and apologized for the club's early loss in the playoffs.
For his efforts, Laich was hockey analyst Michael Farber's nominee for the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. When asked about the incident, Laich responded, "It's not a big deal. It was just a tire.
Personal Life
In February 2014, it was revealed that Laich started dating professional dancer and actress Julianne Hough. On August 18, 2015, Laich officially announced via Instagram that he and Hough were engaged. The couple were married on July 8, 2017.
After his split from Hough, Laich announced his relationship with two-time CrossFit Games champion Katrín Davíðsdóttir on Instagram in August 2021. They announced their engagement in December 2024.