Behind the Bench: Butte Irish Head Coach, Marc Brodeur
By Merrick Parnell
Marc Brodeur is the "Bench Boss" for the Butte Irish (formally the Butte Cobras) in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). He has been the head coach of the Frontier Division team since the second half of the 2022-2023 season. His journey behind the Butte bench has been filled with a lifetime of experiences around the game.
His Journey Through Hockey Started as a Young Boy in Quebec
Growing up in Quebec, Canada, Brodeur started skating young. He describes hockey as being like a religion in the province. However, there were some challenges.
"I was born to an American Mom and was raised English, so there was a lot of politics involved, and I was held back because I wasn't a 'true Frenchman," he said.
At about two years old, he recalls first learning to skate in his sister's figure skates. About a year later, Brodeur was on his first team at three and a half years old.
Marc Brodeur behind the Irish bench in an NA3HL game vs Sheridan
Photo: Michelle Kase
The Beginning of His Hockey Career
He played minor youth hockey in Chateauguay, Quebec, until he was 18 and then played for his High School, Howard S Billings. After Billings, he played for two seasons in the Quebec Cegep AAA league for Champlain College in Lennoxville, QC. His career kept progressing, and the following season, he got a shot to play for the Vernon Lakers of the BCJHL (Now BCHL). About halfway through the season, Brodeur changed to the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), where he played With Massena Americans in New York.
After his Junior Hockey career, he returned to finish his education at Champlain College, where he played hockey. Brodeur's play helped earn him the attention of the Chatham Wheels of the now defunct, minor-professional Colonial Hockey League (CoHL) before moving on to play for the Lakeland Ice Warriors in Flordia—members of the minor-pro Sunshine Hockey League.
Photo: Michelle Kase
After a bad experience playing in Lakeland, Brodeur left hockey and moved back to Quebec. However, he would only stay off the ice briefly as he re-discovered his passion for playing with the St. Lin Gladiators. St. Lin played in the Semi-Professionelle du Quebec League during the early phases of becoming the infamous minor-pro Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey or LNAH. The LNAH is regarded as the world's toughest hockey league. The LNAH has seen years with as many as 3.2 fights a game compared to the 0.6 fights in the National Hockey League. Vice Sports has done a documentary on the league, which can be viewed here.
"I had a great time playing in that league. The club paid me $125 cash per game. It was a pretty tough league. "I didn't fight too many times because each team had their enforcers that did most of that," he said. "Because I was a goal scorer and wore the old Jofa helmet that Wayne Gretzky used for his career, the team made me wear number 99. It was fun but embarrassing. I got Gretzky chants everywhere we traveled," he recalls fondly.
After two seasons for St. Lin, he got a shot to move to Georgia and play for the Life University Skating Eagles in the American Collegiate Hockey Association second division, where he would win a National Championship in 1999.
The Start of a Coaching Career
He transitioned from player to coach in early 2000/ as the Head Hockey Manager for a travel roller hockey club out of Beaverton, Oregon, for a three-year stint. He then took a hiatus and returned three years ago to coaching in Sherwood, Oregon.
Marc Brodeur behind the Irish bench in an NA3HL game
A Shot at Coaching Jr Hockey
Then, last year, he got a shot at coaching in the NA3HL with Butte.
"I love living and coaching in Butte. It has been a dream job. We have been working hard to get the team on a positive track to success. Our facilities are tough, but it can only get better." He said.
Regarding future coaching plans, he wants to help the Butte club reach its full potential. "I am living the dream and love coaching in the NA3HL. Eventually, I would like to climb the coaching ladder, but only once the work in Butte is done! I am very loyal, and Bill Lavelle [Butte's Owner] took a chance on me, and I appreciate that to no end!"
For more info on the Butte's NA3HL team, visit their website: butteirish.com.
