Welcome to another WHL Best of the 2010s feature where we profile the best WHL players from the 2009-10 season all the way to the 2019-20 season. Players are judged based on what they did in each division. This means if a player spent time in multiple divisions, their placement will be judged based on what they did separately while in each division. Don’t forget to vote on our Twitter page, @WHLonA51 to help determine which player will be crowned the best WHL player of the 2010s. We hope you enjoy.
A Regina Pats legend, Adam Brooks had the ability to take over games while living in the Saskatchewan capital. Through his five seasons, he played 317 games while collecting 335 points. He sits 11th all-time in points with the franchise while sitting sixth in assists with 216.
Brooks was definitely a late bloomer. During his first two WHL seasons, he played 115 games but only recorded 23 points. While it may have taken awhile, the payoff was worth it as he exploded in his third season.
During the 2014-15 season, he scored 30 goals and recorded 62 points in 64 games. The former second-round Bantam Draft pick was finally getting in a groove which was bad news for the rest of the WHL. He would also add seven points in nine playoff games to finish off a successful third season.
Year four saw Brooks take another giant leap forward with 38 goals and 120 points in just 72 games. He also had a fantastic playoff with 23 points in 12 games. No, that isn’t a typo; he was that dominant. For his efforts, he was named to the WHL (East) First All-Star Team as well as collected the Bobby Clarke Trophy given out to the WHL player who leads the league in points.
In Brooks’s last WHL season, he continued to improve, this time with 43 goals and 130 points in 66 games. He was once again named to the WHL (East) First All-Star Team and finished one point back in the race for most points in the WHL. His career would come to an end after a 17-point in an 18-game playoff run.
What makes Brooks special is he continued to work on his game and got better with time. That was one of the reasons that, despite being an older prospect, he was still drafted into the NHL a year before his final WHL season. A worthy member of our WHL Best of the 2010s list.