Lake Forest College Head Men's Hockey Coach Sean O'Malley recently announced the addition of former NHL defenseman and 2010 Stanley Cup champion Brent Sopel to the Forester coaching staff. 

"We are pleased to announce the addition of Brent to our coaching staff," said coach O'Malley.

Following time in the Western Hockey League with the Saskatoon Blades and Swift Current Broncos, Sopel was selected with the 144th pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He spent three seasons with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch before making his NHL debut in 1999 with the Vancouver Canucks. In the early stages of his career, Sopel made a name for himself as a point-scoring defenseman. His most productive NHL campaign came in the 2003-04 season, when he scored 10 goals and added 32 assists for the Canucks. 

After time with the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Kings, Sopel signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007. In the 2009-10 season, Sopel played in 73 games and led the Blackhawks in blocked shots en route to the team's Stanley Cup Final victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. He tallied one goal and two assists in the six-game series, helping the Blackhawks end their 49-year Stanley Cup drought. 

Sopel concluded his NHL career in the 2010-11 season with the Montreal Canadiens before spending time overseas in the KHL. He returned to Chicago in 2014, retiring from professional hockey as a member of the AHL's Chicago Wolves in February 2015. Sopel tallied over 1,000 professional games in his playing career.  

He also founded the Sopel Foundation for Dyslexia, a nonprofit organization that aims to increase awareness and provide assistance to individuals affected by dyslexia and dysgraphia. He also hosts the Brent Sopel Academy of Defense and spent time as an analyst with NBC 5 Chicago. On the coaching side, he spent several years as an assistant or head coach with youth hockey clubs in the area including the Sabres Hockey Club and Chargers Hockey Club. Sopel is no stranger to the Lake Forest area as well, spending time with Lake Forest Academy's hockey program as a volunteer coach. 

Coach O'Malley added, "Brent's exceptional defensive awareness, coupled with his capacity to analyze opposing systems and implement a disciplined, structured approach, will enhance our players' performance from the start."

Lake Forest men's hockey begins the 2026-27 season on the road at Saint Mary's (Minn.) before hosting Beloit on Nov. 3 at the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.