As a youngster in growing up in Rosemount, Minnesota, J.T. Brown made lifelong friends by refusing to be left out of neighborhood roller and pond hockey games. However, memories of the few times he was excluded, combined with a steady diet of Swedish Fish, fueled his journey into the National Hockey League.

Before playing in a Stanley Cup Finals, an NCAA Finals and a Calder Cup Finals, Brown found himself in street clothes, watching his high school teammates from the bench. It definitely wasn’t due to a lack of talent.

“He was a young kid going through the tough transition of growing up,” former Rosemount coach Scott Macho said. “Sometimes had a little bit of a temper and made things interesting. Our message was that no one was better than anyone else, and he seemed to get the message and cooled off after a while.”

Macho became Rosemount’s head coach during Brown’s sophomore year and immediately recognized the immense talent Brown possessed. Brown was the standout player in a promising class that included Luke McManus, Dylan Porter and Nate Percy – all of whom went on to play college hockey. With Macho as his coach, Brown set a school record for scoring 75 career goals in his high school career and added 65 assists for a total of 140 points.

Riding the bench, however, helped him gain the intangible qualities of great player.

“Sitting out, not being able to play -- it puts a perspective on things,” Brown said. “There’s more than just the ‘me’ aspect, I learned how lucky I was just to play. Having Macho there to support me with encouragement and things like that was crucial. You don’t want to get sat down as a 17-year-old, but obviously that’s what was needed.”

When he was on the ice, Brown made plays that Macho – a four-year college player himself – had never seen.

“One time, playing Burnsville, he got hit three times, did a spin on his hand, stayed up, kept control and hammered it top shelf for a goal,” recalled Macho, now the head coach at South St. Paul High School. “He was consistently making plays like that, where there would be two inches to put the puck, and he would hit it.”

Much of Brown’s success came because of his speed and natural athleticism. The son of former Vikings running back Ted Brown, J.T. played sports all-year-round as a child but narrowed his favorites down to hockey, baseball and football as he entered high school. It became clear to his father, and friends, that hockey would win over all sports when J.T. started sleeping through 8 a.m. football practice and waking up early for 5:30 a.m. hockey practice.

McManus, Brown’s Rosemount and University of Minnesota-Duluth teammate, said his friend could have been the starting varsity running back but decided to go golfing instead of going to two-a-days.

“We give him a hard time because he’s an absolute gamer, and for football there was too much practice.” McManus said.

• Graduated from Rosemount High School in 2008 
• Played three years varsity hockey
• Scored school-record 75 career goals
• Became first African-American Mr. Hockey finalist
• Played two years varsity baseball
• Named 2011 Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player and became NCAA champion for University of Minnesota-Duluth.

McManus and Brown met as four-year-olds and began a lasting friendship cemented by hockey and video games. Between hockey practices, school and weekend sleepovers, McManus said it felt like he was with Brown 20 hours a day during grade school. In that time, he’s learned his friend’s strengths and weaknesses.

“I give him a hard time because he’s literally good at everything,” McManus said. ”It used to bug me, because I worked for everything, and J.T. would look at something for five minutes, pick it up and be better than me.

“But his diet was always terrible. In Duluth we’d eat together before games, everyone is eating pasta, chicken and salad, but J.T. would have a Mountain Dew and pizza. Everyone would take a nap, J.T. would put his gamer pants on and eat pop parts and play Xbox. But at five o’clock he would suit up and score points every night. If I tried to do that I would puke two shifts in.”

Brown readily admits he’s got a sweet tooth, especially when it comes to Swedish Fish and Trolley gummy worms, but he is weaning himself off after some tough trips to the dentist.
Heading into his senior year at Rosemount, a sugar-fueled Brown had the option of playing in the United States Hockey League after attending a few tryouts, but he decided to stick with a tight-knit group of Irish seniors. For Brown, the choice was about more than trying to expedite his playing career.

“I looked at it as leaving my friends and my brothers,” he said. “I developed lifelong friendships and bonds with so many people through hockey – it was more than just playing hockey. They were the people I wanted to win a state tournament with. It’s all we wanted to do since we were in Bantams.”

Brown led the Irish to a 20-win season his senior year and was the first African-American Mr. Hockey candidate. But Rosemount lost to Woodbury in the section finals, and Brown missed his final chance to play in the state tournament. Macho said several NHL scouts were tracking Brown’s senior year, but when the NHL draft came, the senior was left out.

“I had several NHL scouts come to games and talk, but his reputation for having a temper preceded him,” Macho said. “By his senior year he became a great human being, it was unfortunate that the temper thing stuck with him. I always told them they’d regret it. Obviously, he overcame it, because people just love him now.”

Brown said it would have felt good to be drafted, but he probably wouldn’t have worked as hard as a result, and, in hindsight, sees it as one of the best things that has happened to him.

“I think he took that with a chip on his shoulder and, sure enough, he proved that he should have been taken,” McManus said. “He was one of the best, if not the best, in the USHL because he had something to prove. If you challenge him with that stuff, he wants to prove you wrong and show you he can do it.”

After high school, Brown spent two seasons with the Waterloo Blackhawks in the USHL, recording 48 goals and 65 assists in 96 games. His performance earned the attention of NCAA scouts, including those from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. While the location, coaching staff and atmosphere were enough to attract him, having McManus commit at his side solidified Brown’s decision.

Early in their collegiate careers, McManus could tell Brown was already ready for the next step.

“I realized it during one of our first weekends in college hockey,” he said. “He scored an overtime winner and went to center ice at the far end. It was his second or third game in college and I thought to myself, ‘Yeah, he could make it.’ It wasn’t a matter of if, it was more a question of when. He had the stuff you can’t teach, it seems like everything slows down for him, and he’s so athletic.”

During Brown’s freshman year, junior forwards Mike and Jack Connolly and senior forward Justin Fontaine led the No.1-ranked Bulldogs to a 20-9-6 regular season and into the Western Collegiate Hockey Association finals, where they lost, 3-2, to Bemidji State. In the NCAA Frozen Four, Brown recorded a goal and two assists and earned the Most Outstanding Player award as the Bulldogs won their first NCAA title.

“He was a rock star,” McManus said. “When he hits that higher stage he finds another gear and just dominates. He took control of the whole weekend – as a freshman. It was crazy.”

The next season, Brown led the Bulldogs with 24 goals, including four game-winners. Again, they lost in the WCHA finals and made a run in the NCAA tournament. But the Bulldogs lost to Boston College, 4-0, in the regional final. The loss was tough for Brown, but it helped him realize how everything needs to fall in place to complete a championship run.

Five years after winning NCAA title, he’s trying to regain the feeling of winning a championship. After signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011, he spent time with the Syracuse Crunch in the American Hockey League and made it to the Calder Cup Finals, but the Crunch lost the series 4-2 to Grand Rapids. He was called up to Lightning in 2013 and has played in 28 NHL playoff games, including six Stanley Cup Final games but has yet to kiss the Cup. This season, through Nov. 17, he had scored two goals and added three assists in 18 games for the Lightning. 

Even without a championship and outdoor hockey rinks, Brown has warmed to the Florida lifestyle.

“Right away it was weird having Thanksgiving or Christmas on the beach – it didn’t seem right without Christmas trees and lights,” he said. “Overall I love it and can’t complain with the winters. I like the city and being close to the rink, I have nothing to complain about. I won’t lie, I still have Minnesota in my heart, that’s always home, but Tampa’s been good to me.”

According to McManus, Brown hasn’t forgotten where he came from. The two friends play each other in FIFA and NHL via Xbox Live and are a part of each other’s weddings. Brown also sets aside tickets and gives personal tours of Amalie Arena for his family and friends – even the coach that benched him in high school.

“My kids instantly became Tampa Bay Lightning fans because they got on the jumbo screen and met J.T. after the game,” Macho said. “I always refer back to the person. Hockey is great, but the personality is the best indicator. He’s always been polite and kind and a gentleman.”