After a gritty 11-year NHL career with the Flyers, Penguins, Devils, Bruins and Jets, Andy Brickley knows a thing or two about hitting, but the man they call “Bricks” is about more than just hitting an opponent or the top corner. Brickley has been golfing since the age of 9, and hitting the little white ball is as much a part of his life as ever.
“I grew up in Melrose, MA and lived less than a mile from Mount Hood Golf Club,” says Brickley, NESN’s Bruins’ analyst in his 16th year of broadcasting. “We would sneak into the ‘Hood and play 7 or 8 holes until we got caught.” Brickley says he is a “self-taught” golfer, and to this day, has never taken a formal lesson. “I learned the game by watching better players on the course and on TV,” says the former UNH hockey star. “Golf was just a summer activity that filled a gap when I wasn’t playing baseball. My brother Quintin took lessons from Lyman Doane at Mount Hood. I was just trying to pick up the basics of seeing the ball, hitting the ball and getting to the hole.”
This rudimentary beginning led to a lifelong love of the game for the 50-year-old Brickley. He relates, “My passion for the game has changed since I retired from pro hockey in 1996. I wanted to get better, to learn more about the grip and swing. With golf, I don’t like to practice at all. I go right from the cart to the first tee. That is the competitor in me. I golf with a buddy, Mike Libby, who is a pro. It’s like getting a private lesson every time we play.”
Brickley’s schedule lends itself nicely to the game. “I basically have summers off, so if I can help a cause by playing golf, that works. A lot of players and media play charity events. As a player, I always tried to give reporters ample time, win or lose. I tried to be a stand up guy, and felt that if I was good to them, they would be fair with me.”
This human insight also applies to the golf course. “You can see a person’s level of integrity on the course,” says Brickley, who counts Mario Lemieux, Rejean Lemelin, Dave Christian and Ray Bourque as teammates who excelled at golf. “You can see honesty and a sense of gentlemanship. It gives you a peek into what people are really like.”
Brickley, a left-handed winger and center, does see some similarity between a hockey slap shot and a golf swing. He explains, “To generate power, you have to have that core strength in the middle of the body. Balance when addressing the ball or puck is crucial. It takes a tremendous grind to be the victor in both sports. You have to have a mental tenacity. In hockey, you can rely on teammates, and anger sometimes works. With golf, you are alone, and you can’t throw your bag into the crowd or knock down an opponent.” A proud member of Plymouth Country Club and Quincy’s Granite Links, Brickley explains the allure of both courses. “Plymouth is a classic Don Ross course. It is slow back to front, invites you in and beats you up. I love the design. The vistas at Granite Links are spectacular. It is a real risk-reward course.”
Brickley lives in Hingham, MA with his wife and two daughters, but he is the only golfer in the house. He elaborates on where golf fits into his family and professional life. “I guess golf is my personal masculine domain. I play more than ever now, especially on the road with (WBZ Radio Bruins’ analyst and former Bruins teammate) Bob Beers. I would love to play The Peninsula in (San Mateo) California, and Pebble Beach. My wife used to be a hockey widow. Now, I joke that she is a golf widow.”
A straight shooter on the ice and in the booth, Brickley does not see golf as a life and death struggle. He explains, “It appeals to my sense of competition. I know a lot of guys get frustrated with the game, but golf is different for me. Even my worst day on the course is a great day.”
Columnist John Molori writes for numerous publications and appears regularly on AM 1110 WCCM. Email John at MoloriMedia@aol.com.
Columnist John Molori writes for numerous publications and appears regularly on several radio stations.
