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Jonny Brodzinski Raises Daughters, Lifts Teammates, Anchors Rangers Depth
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- Jonny Brodzinski Raises Daughters, Lifts Teammates, Anchors Rangers Depth
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In Blaine, Minnesota, winter doesn't just arrive — it lingers, stretching across months, freezing ponds into glass and turning every driveway into a cathedral of ice. That's where New York Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski learned to shoot a puck, yes. But it's also where he learned to lead.
The oldest of four boys, he commandeered the basement and the driveway, pulling Michael, Easton, and Bryce into games that lasted until darkness swallowed the sky.
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"Jonny was a great big brother," his father Mike told Forever Blueshirts. "He always included them in everything — knee hockey, hockey at the park. All the boys were rooting for each other to be the best they could be. I think Jonny learned at a young age what it takes to be a leader and to help others because of being the oldest brother. That's what makes me smile the most."
Photo courtesy Mike Brodzinski Credit: Mike Brodzinski
That instinct — to lift, to include, to make others better — is the same one Jonny carries into the Rangers ' locker room today, where the 32-year-old carved out a vital role as a reliable veteran, who anchors their forward depth.
A Huskie's Legacy
For the Brodzinski family, hockey is more than a sport. It's their shared language. Mike was an All-American defenseman at St. Cloud State, a member of the 1986-87 Huskies team inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. To see his son pull on the same sweater at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center was not just a proud moment, it was a father's dream realized.
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"The day Jonny signed with the Huskies is a day I'll never forget," Mike remembers warmly. "He took a visit to Maine and loved it there, but I had to pump his brakes a bit. Coach Bob Motzko called me and said, 'He's not a Black Bear, he's a Huskie.' And Jonny went up (to St. Cloud), and it was history from there."
For father and son, St. Cloud wasn't just a program. It was the echo of one generation opening the door for the next.
Related: Born in Friartown, Forged for Broadway: Brett Berard's Rise with Rangers
From the Shop to the Spotlight
Hockey in the Brodzinski household wasn't only played, it was worked. At Hockey Central, the family's shop, Jonny sharpened skates and chatted with neighbors, learning the value of community as much as he did the edge of a blade.
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"Jonny's always been a people person," Mike stated. "He'll talk to anyone."
That work ethic crystallized before Jonny's sophomore year of high school. Blaine's program brimmed with talent — future NHLer Nick Bjugstad among them — and Jonny knew he had to earn his place.
"That was when you could really see the pyramid narrowing — and he wanted it," Mike said.
By his senior year, Jonny hadn't just earned it, he'd arrived. He was a finalist for Minnesota's prestigious Mr. Hockey award in 2011.
His fire and desire accelerated at St. Cloud. As a freshman in 2012-13 , Jonny scored 22 goals, helped St. Cloud reach the NCAA Frozen Four, and, as Mike beams, "led the country in plus-minus at +28."
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Jonny played three seasons at St. Cloud State, scoring at least 21 goals in each one. His 64 goals in 120 games are seventh most in the program's history . Younger brother Easton is third all-time with 67 goals in 176 games with St. Cloud State.
Mike reflects on those years: Jonny never resisted feedback; he embraced it. Each challenge became fuel, and every critique pushed him to work even harder.
A Draft Day to Remember
The summer of 2013 didn't just mark a milestone — it delivered a rarity. Two brothers, shaped on the same backyard ice, heard their names called in the same NHL Draft.
Officially, Michael went first — 141st overall to the San Jose Sharks , with Jonny following seven picks later at No. 148 to the Los Angeles Kings . But in the Brodzinski house, nobody remembers it in numbers. They remember the noise — the blur of laughter, disbelief, and brothers shoving each other in celebration.
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Mike laughs.
"Michael walked out of the house, he was so mad he hadn't gone yet," he says. "But the second his name finally came across the screen, Jonny lit up. It was a great day for both boys."
Two brothers, two crests, and one eruption of joy, not claimed individually but carried together. In a sport where dreams are so often chased alone, the Brodzinskis reached theirs side by side. It's the kind of moment most families spend a lifetime hoping for. But the Brodzinskis lived shoulder to shoulder.
A Captain in Hartford, a Leader with the Rangers
Photo courtesy Mike Brodzinski
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His first five seasons after turning pro, Jonny appeared in 57 games with the Kings and San Jose Sharks, spending more time in the minors than in the NHL. He signed with the Rangers in October 2020, and though it took a while, he eventually earned a full-time roster spot in the NHL.
In Hartford, where the Rangers' AHL affiliate plays, Jonny wasn't just given the "C" — he earned it during the 2021–22 season and held it for the next two years. As captain, he led not with speeches, but with presence, becoming the trusted voice young players leaned on.
It wasn't just symbolic. His on-ice work demanded respect. In 36 games with Hartford in 2021–22, Brodzinski racked up 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists), led them in points-per-game, and set a franchise record by scoring in nine straight contests. He followed it up in 2022–23 by elevating his leadership and production: in 47 AHL games he notched 48 points (21 goals, 27 assists).
The Rangers noticed. That consistency made him impossible to overlook. He wasn't a jersey to fill, his were minutes the Rangers could trust. First in minors, then more regularly in the NHL.
Jonny bolstered the Rangers depth, playing 51 games with them in 2023-24, totaling 19 points (six goals, 13 assists). Last season, he scored an NHL career-high 12 goals in 51 games for the Rangers.
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In the 2025 training camp buzzing with highly-touted prospects trying to break through, Brodzinski wasn't loud — he was steady. He was one of the Rangers' most consistent forwards throughout preseason play — killing penalties, winning board battles, and doing all the small things coaches obsess over but fans don't always see. And that quiet consistency didn't just get noticed, it was rewarded by the Rangers with a roster spot for the third straight season.
The Girl Dad
Photo courtesy Mike Brodzinski
The arena may erupt for him, but the loudest cheers come from home — delivered in plastic tiaras and glittery brushes. Lucy (5) and Livvy (2½) — now joined by their newborn sister, Penelope, born October 5 — aren't worried about systems or stat lines. They just want Dad in the salon chair.
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"Jonny's the best girl dad I know," Mike says with a laugh. "When he's not at the rink or on the golf course, he's getting his hair done by Lucy and Livvy. Coming from four boys, he sure loves his girls."
Jonny and Lauren Brodzinski with daughter Penelope, born October 5, 2025 — Photo courtesy Mike Brodzinski
At the center is Jonny's wife, Lauren, whom Mike calls "the anchor of the family."
"She deserves a lot of the credit," he adds. "Not only did she get through nursing and medical schooling, she's been there for every move and all 84 transactions. She's his biggest fan and a remarkable mother for their girl team."
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At Madison Square Garden, Lucy and Livvy wait by the glass for their father's wave.
"Those moments are priceless," Mike says. "If you need help getting around MSG, just come and get Lucy, she'll show you around."
Legacy in Motion
Photo courtesy Mike Brodzinski Credit: Mike Brodzinski
Now in his ninth pro season — with more than 200 NHL games and over 300 in the AHL — Jonny Brodzinski's story is etched in sweat and sustained by relentless return. What endures about him is that same steady fire , the one that keeps him chasing, competing, and proving he belongs at every level. And yet, beneath that engine lies something quieter — a father's pride, carried through every chapter of the journey.
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"There's just so much to talk about and remember," Mike says softly. "Jonny's the greatest kid a dad could ask for."
And one day, when Lucy, Livvy, and Penelope look back on their father's hockey career, they'll see what his father always saw: a player who lifted his teammates, a leader who never stopped believing, and a dad who never forgot to wave at the glass, just as he once waved his little brothers onto frozen ponds back in Blaine.
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