University of Maine defenseman Brandon Chabrier is beginning his professional hockey career with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners in Portland.
The 23-year-old signed with the Mariners on Tuesday evening.
Chabrier is one of four seniors who helped elevate the UMaine program from a bottom feeder into a Hockey East tournament champion and two-time NCAA Tournament team.
The smooth-skating Bayville, New York, native had 12 assists in 31 games for the Black Bears this past season. He was fifth on the team in assists.
He also blocked a career-high 38 shots and was a plus-eight in plus-minus.
Players earn a plus-one if they are on the ice when their team scores an even-strength or shorthanded goal and a minus-one if the opponent scores one.
The Mariners are affiliated with the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins and their American Hockey League franchise, the Providence Bruins.
Chabrier, fellow defensemen Brandon Holt and Grayson Arnott and left wing Thomas Freel came to UMaine four years ago to a program that went 7-22-4 in the previous season under first-year head coach Ben Barr.
The Black Bears have gone 80-50-16 since they joined the program and the Black Bears won the Hockey East tournament a year ago for the first time since 2004.
“We’re super happy for him,” Barr said. “He’s a great kid and he has a lot of ability.”
The 6-foot, 184-pound Chabrier appeared in 134 games during his UMaine career and registered seven goals and 42 assists for 49 points. He was a plus-26.
He also blocked 115 shots.
He was a two-time Hockey East Defender of the Month during his career and a four-time Hockey East Defender of the Week.
His best season was his sophomore campaign when he posted six goals and 16 assists for 22 points in 37 contests. He was tied for fourth on the team in assists and tied for sixth in points. He was the team’s top-scoring defenseman.
He had two power play goals in 2023-24 and two-game winners including the overtime winner in a 2-1 victory at Quinnipiac.
The Mariners have a busy week with four games in five days beginning with a Wednesday night game in Glens Falls, New York, against the Adirondack Thunder.
They will play a home-and-home against Worcester. They will face off in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Friday night and in Portland on Saturday night at 6 p.m.
They will then host Reading on Sunday at 3 p.m.
His former UMaine teammate, Ross Mitton, is playing for Worcester.