| Damien Brunner | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Brunner with the Devils in 2014 | |||
| Born | (1986-03-09)March 9, 1986 (age 39) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NL team Former teams | EHC Biel Kloten Flyers HC Thurgau EV Zug Detroit Red Wings New Jersey Devils HC Lugano | ||
| National team |  Switzerland | ||
| NHL draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2006–present | ||
Damien Brunner (born March 9, 1986) is a Swiss former professionalice hockeyforward who last played forEHC Biel of theNational League (NL). He has also played in theNational Hockey League for theDetroit Red Wings and theNew Jersey Devils.
As a youth, Brunner played in the 1999 and 2000Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a team fromZürich.[1]
He played for theKloten Flyers of theNational League A in 2006–07 and 2007–08. In 2008–09, he moved toEV Zug. In 2011–12, Brunner had 60 points in 45 games. He led the NLA in points and was named the league's forward of the year.[2]
On July 1, 2012, Brunner signed a one-year entry-level contract with theDetroit Red Wings of the NHL.[3] He then returned to EV Zug for the 2012–13 season[2] until the2012–13 NHL lockout was resolved, where he started the shortened season with the Red Wings. He netted the game-winning shootout goal against theColumbus Blue Jackets, in his second game with the Red Wings. He scored his first NHL goal the next day againstKari Lehtonen of theDallas Stars.[4]
Brunner played in the2010 IIHF World Championship as a member of theSwitzerland men's national ice hockey team.[5]
After turning down two and three-year contract offers from the Detroit Red Wings, Brunner became anUnrestricted Free Agent. On September 16, 2013 he was signed by the New Jersey Devils on a pro tryout contract and attended the team's training camp. On September 24, 2013, he was signed by the New Jersey Devils to a two-year, $5 million contract.[6]
On December 5, 2014, the Devils placed Brunner on waivers after he was benched for the entire third period in a 5-3 win against theToronto Maple Leafs on December 4. He cleared waivers the following day. He had 2 goals and 5 assists in 17 games. With little interest in playing in theAmerican Hockey League, Brunner agreed to mutually terminate his contract with the Devils and on December 12, 2014, he returned to Switzerland where he signed a five-year contract withHC Lugano worth CHF 6 million.[7]
Near the end of the2017–18 regular season, Brunner broke his leg, forcing him to sit out the end of the regular season as well as the playoffs.
On May 19, 2018, Brunner and HC Lugano parted ways - with one year remaining on his contract - and immediately signed a two-year deal worth CHF 2 million withEHC Biel.[8]
On August 26, 2019, Brunner was signed to an early three-year contract extension by Biel through the 2022–23 season.
After more than six seasons in Biel, Brunner was limited to only six games due to injury in 2024-25 and announced his retirement on January 24, 2025.[9]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2002–03 | Kloten Flyers | SUI U20 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Kloten Flyers | SUI U20 | 21 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Kloten Flyers | SUI U20 | 43 | 33 | 24 | 57 | 62 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 26 | ||
| 2005–06 | Kloten Flyers | SUI U20 | 18 | 13 | 25 | 38 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | EHC Winterthur | SUI.3 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 29 | 28 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Kloten Flyers | NLA | 42 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 22 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | Kloten Flyers | NLA | 50 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Kloten Flyers | NLA | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | HC Thurgau | NLB | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | EV Zug | NLA | 35 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 | EV Zug | NLA | 47 | 23 | 35 | 58 | 22 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 2010–11 | EV Zug | NLA | 40 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 34 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | EV Zug | NLA | 45 | 24 | 36 | 60 | 48 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 6 | ||
| 2012–13 | EV Zug | NLA | 33 | 25 | 32 | 57 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 44 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2013–14 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 60 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 17 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | HC Lugano | NLA | 20 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | HC Lugano | NLA | 36 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 18 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 12 | ||
| 2016–17 | HC Lugano | NLA | 33 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | HC Lugano | NL | 24 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | EHC Biel | NL | 50 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20 | EHC Biel | NL | 23 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | EHC Biel | NL | 29 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 43 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | EHC Biel | NL | 44 | 21 | 23 | 44 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| NL totals | 563 | 215 | 270 | 485 | 389 | 93 | 30 | 35 | 65 | 40 | ||||
| NHL totals | 121 | 25 | 33 | 58 | 46 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Switzerland | WC | 5th | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Switzerland | WC | 11th | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | |
| 2014 | Switzerland | OG | 9th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Switzerland | WC | 10th | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
| 2015 | Switzerland | WC | 8th | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | |
| 2017 | Switzerland | WC | 6th | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Senior totals | 40 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 24 | ||||