Brent Pope

{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player and coach (1973–2022)}}

{{for|the New Zealand rugby union expert|Brent Pope (rugby analyst)}}

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| caption =

| alt =

| image =

| image_size = 230px

| position = Defence

| shoots = Right

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lb = 235

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1973|2|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|11|1|1973|2|20|df=y}}

| death_place =Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

| played_for = Cardiff Devils
Romford Raiders
Slough Jets
Sheffield Scimitars
London Racers
Basingstoke Bison
Hull Stingrays
Solihull MK Kings
Nottingham Panthers
Florida Everblades
Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
London Knights
Wheeling Thunderbirds
Cape Breton Oilers

| ntl_team = Great Britain

| draft =

| draft_year =

| draft_team =

| career_start = 1993

| career_end = 2008

}}

Brent Pope (20 February 1973 – 1 November 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey player, and Managing Director of the Cardiff Devils in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Pope was a financial consultant in his hometown area of Hamilton, Ontario and until his death he maintained an active freelance broadcaster career with the Olympic Broadcasting Services and the Olympic Channel.

Playing career

Pope started his professional career playing for Cape Breton Oilers and Wheeling Thunderbirds as a free agent, signing with the Edmonton Oilers in 1992. In 1996, Pope moved to the United Kingdom signing for the Cardiff Devils.{{cite web|last=Phillips|first=Terry|title=It's ice work if you can get it! Devils star is voice of Olympics.|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/It%27s+ice+work+if+you+can+get+it!+Devils+star+is+voice+of+Olympics.-a0218828168|work=South Wales Echo|accessdate=9 February 2014|date=12 February 2010}} He spent three seasons with the Devils, helping them win the 1996–97 Ice Hockey Superleague championship and the 1998-99 Ice Hockey Superleague Playoff Championship. He went on to play for the GB National Men's Hockey programme between 2002-04 at the World Championship level as well as various clubs in England and North America.

Post-playing career

In May 2007, Pope was appointed Cardiff Devils general manager after winning the Challenge Cup as Co-Coach, Cardiff Devils.{{cite web |last=Phillips |first=Terry |title=Devils elect a Pope for top job|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Devils+elect+a+Pope+for+top+job.-a0163327881|work=South Wales Echo|accessdate=9 February 2014|date=11 May 2007}} He spent time in various roles at the club, and replaced Gerad Adams as head coach in October 2013.{{cite web|title=Brent Pope replaces Gerad Adams as Cardiff Devils head coach|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/wales/24741591|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=17 February 2014|date=30 October 2013}} Pope created the UK registered charity the Devils Community Foundation in October 2008 incorporating the Junior Devils development into the Senior Devils community outreach programme. Head of the DCF until 2013, Pope coached at both the England U14 & U16 age levels whilst overseeing the junior Devils development. In 2010, Pope completed his MA in Sports Development & Coaching at Cardiff Metropolitan University and in January 2013 became Managing Director of the professional Cardiff Devils. In October 2013, Pope became interim Head Coach for the Elite Ice Hockey League Devils winning over .600% of games coached before retiring from his position in April 2014.

Media work

Pope was a sports commentator and voice over artist. A BBC Sport commentator for ice hockey at the 2006 Turin Olympics, 2010 Vancouver and Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.{{cite web|title=Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/winter_olympics_2014.html |work=BBC Sport |accessdate=9 February 2014|date=4 December 2013}}

Pope worked for the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) during the London 2012 Olympics commentating on Hockey, Handball, Table Tennis, Fencing and Water Polo. Pope commentated as venue announcer for the Wheelchair Rugby event during the London 2012 Paralympic Games. A Para Ice Hockey Commentator for the OBS during the Turin 2006, Sochi 2014 and 2018 Pyeongchang Paralympics. In January 2011, the Canadian/Brit commentated for the OBS at the Asian Winter Games Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Pope commentated for honorary patron Prince Harry during the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014 for the Wheelchair Rugby competition. The event was hosted in recognition of injured, sick and wounded servicemen & women from around the world at London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. In 2015, Pope commentated for the ISB (International Sports Broadcasting) at the Baku, Azerbaijan European Games and the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games on the Men's and Women's Waterpolo, Volleyball, Fencing, Beach Volleyball and Wheelchair Rugby.

Pope was Head of English Ice Hockey Commentary for the Champions Hockey League in Europe between 2014-17 becoming Host of the CHL Centre Ice Online Programme in 2015/16. He covered a variety of sports as a commentator for the OBS Olympic Broadcasting Services during both the Rio 2016 Olympic & Paralympic Games. During Pyeongchang 2018, he commentated for the OBS's Global Feed service on both the Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Tournaments as well as the Para Ice Hockey Tournament during the 2018 Paralympics in South Korea.

Personal life and death

Pope was born in Hamilton, Ontario and held both a Canadian and British passport. He lived in Hamilton and worked as a financial adviser. Pope was a member of the Cardiff Metropolitan University – London 2012 Hall of Fame.

Pope died of cancer in Hamilton on 1 November 2022, at the age of 49.{{cite news |title=Rest in Peace Brent Pope |url=https://www.icehockeyuk.co.uk/rest-in-peace-brent-pope/ |access-date=2 November 2022 |publisher=Ice Hockey UK |date=1 November 2022}}[https://ontariohockeyleague.com/article/ohl-mourns-the-loss-of-brent-pope OHL Mourns the Loss of Brent Pope]

Career statistics

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
1989–90 \| Peterborough Petes \| OHL \| 31	0	7	7	14 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1989–90 \| Peterborough Roadrunners \| COJHL \| 9	1	3	4	20 \| —	—	—	—	—
1990–91 \| Peterborough Petes \| OHL \| 29	3	11	14	15 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1990–91 \| Dukes of Hamilton \| OHL \| 29	1	6	7	30 \| 4	0	1	1	13
1991–92 \| Guelph Storm \| OHL \| 65	10	38	48	108 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1992–93 \| Guelph Storm \| OHL \| 33	10	14	24	40 \| —	—	—	—	—
1992–93 \| Ottawa 67's \| OHL \| 26	5	8	13	18 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1992–93 \| Wheeling Nailers \| ECHL \| —	—	—	—	— \| 2	0	0	0	6
1993–94 \| Wheeling Nailers \| ECHL \| 63	8	19	27	230 \| 9	0	2	2	32
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1994–95 \| Wheeling Nailers \| ECHL \| 57	7	17	24	235 \| 3	1	1	2	2
1994–95 \| Cape Breton Oilers \| AHL \| 9	0	1	1	25 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1995–96 \| Wheeling Nailers \| ECHL \| 17	4	11	15	63 \| 7	0	0	0	22
1995–96 \| Cape Breton Oilers \| AHL \| 40	2	9	11	61 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1996–97 \| Cardiff Devils \| BISL \| 39	0	10	10	109 \| 7	0	0	0	12
1997–98 \| Cardiff Devils \| BISL \| 42	4	9	13	98 \| 9	0	5	5	14
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1998–99 \| Cardiff Devils \| BISL \| 40	1	10	11	100 \| 8	2	2	4	6
1999–00 \| Nottingham Panthers \| BISL \| 42	2	10	12	90 \| 6	0	0	0	4
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2000–01 \| London Knights \| BISL \| 5	1	3	4	6 \| —	—	—	—	—
2000–01 \| Tallahassee Tiger Sharks \| ECHL \| 39	0	6	6	81 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2000–01 \| Florida Everblades \| ECHL \| 31	0	5	5	51 \| 5	0	1	1	8
2001–02 \| Nottingham Panthers \| BISL \| 48	1	12	13	63 \| 6	0	0	0	4
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2002–03 \| Solihull MK Kings \| BNL \| 32	5	13	18	100 \| —	—	—	—	—
2003–04 \| Hull Stingrays \| BNL \| 33	4	15	19	122 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2004–05 \| London Racers \| EIHL \| 14	0	4	4	26 \| —	—	—	—	—
2004–05 \| Basingstoke Bison \| EIHL \| 12	0	7	7	48 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2005–06 \| Sheffield Scimitars \| EPIHL \| 41	3	18	21	168 \| 8	2	1	3	48
2006–07 \| Romford Raiders \| EPIHL \| 19	2	9	11	94 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2006–07 \| Slough Jets \| EPIHL \| 3	0	1	1	16 \| —	—	—	—	—
2007–08 \| Cardiff Devils \| EIHL \| 8	0	0	0	32 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2008–09 \| Cardiff Devils ENL \| ENL \| 9	3	4	7	60 \| —	—	—	—	—
2009–10 \| Cardiff Devils ENL \| ENL \| 12	3	8	11	48 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2010–11 \| Cardiff Devils ENL \| ENL \| 6	1	3	4	72 \| —	—	—	—	—
2011–12 \| Cardiff Devils ENL \| ENL \| 3	0	3	3	24 \| —	—	—	—	—
ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| AHL totals ! ALIGN="center" \| 49 ! ALIGN="center" \| 2 ! ALIGN="center" \| 10 ! ALIGN="center" \| 12 ! ALIGN="center" \| 86 ! ALIGN="center" \| — ! ALIGN="center" \| — ! ALIGN="center" \| — ! ALIGN="center" \| — ! ALIGN="center" \| —
ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| ECHL totals ! ALIGN="center" \| 207 ! ALIGN="center" \| 19 ! ALIGN="center" \| 58 ! ALIGN="center" \| 77 ! ALIGN="center" \| 660 ! ALIGN="center" \| 26 ! ALIGN="center" \| 1 ! ALIGN="center" \| 4 ! ALIGN="center" \| 5 ! ALIGN="center" \| 70