Brandon Pirri
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Birthday:
1991-04-10 |
Position:
C |
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Eligible for draft:
2009 |
Shoots:
Left |
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Drafted:
2009 |
Height:
5-11 |
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Acquired:
2nd round (59th overall), 2009 |
Weight:
163 lbs. |
Prospect Talent Score
Probability of Success
- C
History
2007-08: Brandon Pirri played for the Streetsville Derbys of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He scored 18 goals and added 32 assists in 40 games, along with 42 penalty minutes.
2008-09: Pirri began the season with the Streetsville Derbys, appearing in 18 games for that club. He scored 21 goals and chipped in 28 assists in those 18 games, including 11 power-play goals. Pirri was traded to the Georgetown Raiders, where he played in 26 games. He added 25 goals and 20 assists to his offensive totals, giving him 94 points for the season which placed him third overall in scoring the OJHL. Pirri played for the Canada East team at the World Junior Challenge Cup. Won the B.J. Munro Memorial Award as the league's player judged to have the potential to advance to the pro game.
2009-10: Pirri skated with the top six forwards throughout his freshman season at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, finishing second on the team with 43 points. The center scored 11 goals and led the team with 32 assists in 39 games for the Engineers. His freshman year performance earned him an entry-level contract with Chicago.
2010-11: As a rookie, Pirri scored 12 goals, 31 assists for the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. He finished the season with 43 points in 70 games, ranking fourth overall on Rockford and leading the team's talented rookie class. Though he got off to a slow start, Pirri gained confidence over the course of the season and had a strong finish on the team's top line alongside veteran winger Jeff Taffe.
2011-12: Pirri appeared in five games with the Blackhawks during three separate stints with the team and was the leading scorer for Chicago's AHL affiliate Rockford. Pirri had 2 assists and was plus-2, averaging 13:31 minutes of ice time with Chicago. He did not play in any playoff games for the Blackhawks. In 66 games for Rockford he scored 23 goals with 33 assists and was plus-nine with 36 penalty minutes. The IceHogs did not make the AHL playoffs.
Talent Analysis
Pirri's puckhandling and playmaking skills are by far his strongest attributes. His decision-making and feel for the offensive game continues to improve at the professional level and has helped him develop into an offensive leader at the AHL level. He is adept at finding the soft spots in the offensive zone and possesses a hard shot. Though his defensive game is a work in progress, Pirri is not quite a liability and has added enough strength to compete against larger forwards. A potential top six center, his main hurdle will be adjusting to the speed and tightened space at the NHL level.
Future
Pirri will return to Rockford to begin the 2012-13 season as the team's leading scorer. A potential scoring line center at the NHL, developing his overall game and better consistency will be key for Pirri this season. Given Chicago's hole at second line center, another stint with the Blackhawks is a distinct possibility.
