Having a Record Year: Kobryn Breaks Third School Career Record

There's something special about Brad Kobryn.

If you haven't read any of my season recaps or previews or been to a Men's ACHA D1 game, here's a little bit more of a backstory:

“Perhaps the biggest story of the season, other than a perfect home record, was freshman Brad Kobryn. Kobryn tore up the ACHA his rookie season, leading the entire league in points and goals in his first season. Kobryn amassed 55 goals and 22 assists in only 35 games for the Bulldogs, averaging 2.2 PPG. Terrorizing goalies across the league, Kobryn had thirteen multi-goal games, including six hat tricks, one double hat trick, and two four goal games. In a tilt against Kent State on January 22nd, Kobryn tallied all four Bulldog goals on route to a Bulldog victory. This impressive feat was topped on February 7th in an away game as Western Michigan when Kobryn scored 6 of 8 Bulldog goals, becoming the only player in Adrian College Hockey history to post a fifty goal season. Kobryn was named GLCHL Most Valuable Player, GLCHL playoff MVP, GLCHL Rookie of the Year, and is currently in the running for ACHA D1 rookie of the year.” ("ACHA D1 Captures Third Consecutive GLCHL Title" April 2015)

“If his rookie season is any indication of what he’ll do at Adrian, he’ll be right on track to break former ACHA DI standout Spencer Bonomo’s record of 196 career points in no time” ("MD1 Players to Watch: 2015-16 Season Preview, September 2015")

“Kobryn reached the 100 points milestone in only 46 career games this past season. The junior forward is now only 65 points away from tying the Adrian College ACHA program record for points, 99 points away from breaking the all-time school record for any hockey program at Adrian College and only 12 goals away from breaking the all time goal record for any Adrian team. Look for plenty more of Kobryn’s slick moves and smooth skating over the his next two seasons as a Bulldog.” (MD1 Players to Watch: 2016-17 Season Preview, September 2016)

“It’s hard to make a list of impactful players and not include the junior forward. Kobryn not only leads the team in goals this season with 20, but has outscored every single player to ever play for Adrian College. Kobryn’s slick moves and knack for scoring have earned him a place in the Adrian Hockey record books as the top goal scorer for any program and is only 34 points away from the Adrian ACHA scoring record and 67 points from the all time points record.” (MD1 Impactful Players: 2016-17 Mid Season Recap)

"Like I’ve said before, how can you have a list of impactful players and not include Brad Kobryn? The answer is you can't, he's an absolute powerhouse, no ifs, ands or buts about it. With some of the best puckhandling, sleekest skating, smoothest passing and incredible scoring skills that I've ever seen, I'll tell you right now he'll be on this list in next year's preview, mid season recap and season wrap up like he has been his whole career. In his first three seasons, he’s managed to take over nearly every single career record in not just team history, but the history of the the entire Adrian Hockey program. His 126 career goals is the most an Adrian player has ever scored, including the NCAA alumni who’ve gone on to play pro hockey. Kobryn finished second on the team in scoring, the only time that has ever happened in his career at Adrian. This season is also the second season Kobryn has hit the 60 point mark. He would lead the National Tournamnet in points, grabbing his first points at the tournament this year and finishing with 4g-4a-8pts in only three games, which included a hat trick in the win versus Davenport. With only two career records left to break (Adrian ACHA point record and all time Adrian point record), I look forward to watching Kobryn tear up the league one last time in his senior season." (MD1 Impactful Players: 2016-17 Season Recap)

"Would it even be MD1’s players to watch feature if I didn’t include senior forward Brad Kobryn? Kobryn broke Adrian’s all time goal record nearly a year ago now (103 goals in 79 games, you can read about it here) and is only 5 points away from the MD1 Team’s all time points record (196) and 39 points from the school’s all time points record (230). Kobryn has been a force to be reckoned with since he first stepped on the ice with the Bulldogs and will continue to be in his senior season. Keep an eye out for 27 flying around the ice and embarrassing defensemen across the ACHA in his final season as a Bulldog." (MD1 Players to Watch: 2017-18 Season Preview)

It's been quite apparent, that something special, since he first took the ice for the MD1 team back in 2014 in his first game against Lindenwood University. In those first two games, Kobryn scored 6 goals in two games, scoring two goals in his debut for Adrian and netting four in the second game.

Since that September, Kobryn has had quite the three seasons at Adrian College. In 104 career games, he now has his name on a hat trick's worth of school records for a career, along with a few single season and single game records as well.

"I never really felt like I would have an impact playing at Adrian," said Kobryn, "I felt like I would have to start at the bottom and work my way up through the 4 years instead of coming out of the gate hot in my freshman year."

And come out hot he certainly did, scoring a whopping 55 goals in 35 games and amassing 77 points his freshman year. His rookie campaign would be one for the books as he became the only Adrian College player (on any team) to record 50 goals in a season and tied the school record for points in a season.

Out of 35 games he played, he tallied at least a single goal in 31 along with six hat tricks, one double hat trick and two four goal games as he undressed goaltenders and embarrassed defensemen across the ACHA.

Despite the amount of goals he scored and games that were won because of goals he scored (including a 4-3 victory over Kent State in the 14-15 season where he scored all four goals), he said, "I never really felt like the team depended on me to score. I just scored when the opportunity presented itself. But helping the team out by scoring is something that I love to do and will continue to do going into my senior year. "

77 points in 35 games was enough to earn Kobryn a number of accolades including the GLCHL MVP award, GLCHL Playoff MVP award, GLCHL Rookie of the Year, ACHA D1 Rookie of the Year and ACHA D1 Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season.

He began his sophomore campaign the same way, reaching the 100 point mark in his 46th game in an Adrian sweater in a 10-1 victory over Eastern Michigan University on November 6th, 2016, where he already had 15 goals and 10 assists in 10 games, including a 2g-3a performance that night against Eastern.

He finished his sophomore season with 91 goals and 40 assists for 131 career points in 67 career games. Ten goals away from having sole possession of the Adrian ACHA goal record (100) and twelve goals from sole possession of the all time Adrian College Hockey goal record (102).

"Going into my second year, I still felt like I was under the radar," said Kobryn when I asked if he felt as if he had a target on his back after his sensational rookie season, "I didn’t really feel like I had a target on my back until later in my sophomore year. I don’t mind having a target on my back. I feel like I play better knowing that they’re trying to shut me down. "

The first all time record was shattered on October 22nd in a game against the Kent State Golden Flashes. Coming into the game, Kobryn had 98 career goals and needed two to tie the ACHA record. With a goal in the second and third, Kobryn now shared the title of highest scoring player in Adrian ACHA hockey history.

That next weekend, he would tally a single goal against Davenport University to gain sole possession of the Adrian ACHA goal record with 101.

And he didn’t stop there.

On November 6th, 2016 against the Mercyhurst Lakers Kobryn would tie the all time goal record at the 4:45 mark of the second period with his 102nd goal in 79 career games. He would become the highest scoring player in Adrian Hockey history five minutes later, sending home a powerplay goal at the 9:58 mark of the second frame. He’d add a third in the third for good measure and 150 career points, hitting the 150 mark exactly a year to the date after hitting 100.

"Playing against Mercyhurst, I had an idea that I was close to breaking a record but I didn’t really let it play a part in my game that weekend," he said, "I just tried to do my best and if I broke the record then it was great but if I didn’t it was no big deal."

He finished his junior year 5 points from the MD1 All Time Point Record for a career in only 100 games played after earning a number of accolades including his third All American nod, second ACHA Player of the Year nod, First Team All GLCHL, and First Team All Tournament at the National Tournament where he lead the league in scoring with 4g-4a-8pts in 3 games.

With a hat trick in his second game of the season last weekend, Kobryn went into the series this past weekend against Kent State University with only 2 points left to go to tie the team's all time point record.

And now, that’s three down and one to go as Kobryn is only 32 points away from amassing more points than anyone who’s ever suited up for any Adrian team after snagging point number 196 on October 6th, 2017 and point number 197 the following night on the road against Kent State University in the most entertaining way possible. After taking the puck from Kent and dancing through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone in his usual fashion, Kobryn beat out the lone defenseman, took a shot, grabbed his own rebound out of the air behind the net, skated the puck around the net, passed the puck to Mike Finger who hit the goaltender's pad to give Kobryn the rebound where he sent home point #197 and goal #132. He'd then assist on a goal from Marcus Rose in the third, giving him 198 career points.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Brad Kobryn came to Adrian College after playing junior hockey for number of teams. He first played organized hockey but stepped on the ice for the first time at age two "and the rest is history".

"I played for a few teams in juniors. The Oakville Blades (Ontario Junior Hockey League or OJHL), Milton Icehawks (OJHL), and the Elmira Sugar Kings (Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League). I felt like I was more of a grinder who could score when the time came," said Kobryn, "I was never really the go to guy for point last until I went to Elmira. They run a great organization where there find the strengths in their players and it’s where I found the ability to score when it was needed."

In his younger years, he said he modeled his game after Montreal Canadiens forward Saku Koivu because "He was a small gritty player who I tried to play like."

And now?

"Now it would be Ovechkin," he said, "I enjoy watching him play due to his ability to put the puck in the net from anywhere on the ice."

"I decided on Adrian because of how nice the campus is. Every building on campus is well kept and in pristine condition. I visited a few other schools and never really felt as comfortable as I did at Adrian," he said of his choice to come to Adrian College, "My favorite memory at Adrian is spending time at the rink. From watching other teams play to playing in games of our own. The rink is a big piece of this campus and it’s great to be able to call it our home for 4 years."

After scoring over 100 goals in his three full seasons here at Adrian, you'd think that maybe putting the puck in the net would get old after 100 or 130, but Kobryn says otherwise.

"Scoring goals will never get old," he said, 'It’s something I love to do and something I have pride in. I enjoy the spot light on the ice and being a goal scorer is a good way to get that," he added, "I don’t really have a go to celebration. Just celebrate on the go as the goal happens."

And as for superstitions or pre game rituals? He's got a few.

"For superstitions, I usually get dressed with the left side first," he said, "Always have to listen to Motley Crew and a bit of Metallica before games."

"My parents had the biggest influence on my career," he said when I asked who was his biggest influence, "No matter what the situation was, they got me to the rink on time. They went through a lot with hockey and I appreciate everything that they did for me."

But how does it feel to be the highest scoring player in all of Adrian Hockey history? Or to know that nobody in your team's history has accumulated more points than you have before your senior year is half over?

"It’s quite an accomplishment to be able to have a few records that might be around for a while," said Kobryn when I asked how it felt to be a multi-record holder, "The big thing I want from being at Adrian is to bring home a national championship. I would trade all the points and records for a national championship any day of the week."

Like I said before, there's something special about Brad Kobryn, and even if this is the first you're reading about him, you're probably thinking the exact same thing.

And the best part is?

He's not quite done yet.