Brennan and Brett Sonne have always been close.
The brothers, who were raised in Maple Ridge, came up through the ranks in the hockey world, and while they went in different directions, their love of the game was a common bond.
So when 30-year-old Brennan became the new head coach of the Ducs d’Angers hockey team in France, he knew right away who he’d hire first for his roster.
“It was my first thought, and there was no hesitation,” Brennan said about bringing Brett on as a player.
“He’s such a talented player, and I knew he would contribute a lot to the team.”
Brett, 28, echoes his brother by saying the opportunity was a no-brainer.
“Obviously, you have to clear things with the wife and make sure families are on board,” the younger Sonne said.
“But it was a pretty easy decision to make. I’m really looking forward to it.”
The brothers took a long road to get to this moment.
Brennan and Brett both spent time in the WHL and other regional leagues honing their craft.
In the last three years, Brennan has been assistant coach for the Everett Silvertips in Washington State, where he had previously been a player, while Brett went to Europe, where he’s played for various teams.
After Brennan came on with the Ducs d’Angers, he sat down with Brett to offer him a spot on the team. Both brothers say the discussion was important to solidify their working relationship and any potential conflicts.
“We made sure to be open and communicative with each other, and aired our hopes and our concerns,” Brennan said. “It was really positive.”
Brett agrees.
“It was good to hear his vision for the team and how I might fit into that, which was exciting,” he said. “We talked about professionalism and establishing that separation between work and home life, which is very important for something like this.
“You know, I understand that he’s the coach, he’s the one with the say,” Brett continued. “I’m the player, and my job is to perform. We just had to make sure that understanding was in place.”
The talks didn’t last long, and Brett was confirmed to be joining the team earlier this month.
There’s an extra perk, too: Brennan’s hometown friend Cody Campbell has playing with the Angers for five years, making this next season a true Maple Ridge reunion.
Brennan said the idea of bringing Brett on was first discussed between him and Campbell, with Brennan wanting to make sure his friend was okay with it.
The Angers’ general manager Simon Lacroix says he makes an effort to bring on players and staff from western Canada, having spent time in the 1990s playing with the Vernon Lakers.
“They are hard workers and got the good family values,” Lacroix said over email from France.
The Sonne brothers are now looking forward to a partnership they hope will yield strong results, both for the team and for their familial bond.
“We’re really excited to go on this journey together and hopefully win a lot of games,” Brennan said.
“When you go into hockey, there are lots of sacrifices you have to make,” Brett said. “Hockey had split us apart, and we went down different paths. So to have an opportunity to come together like this is really special.
“It’s the experience of a lifetime,” he adds.