Loudmouth. Obnoxious. No Filter. Attention Seeking. Straight Up Asshole.

Those are probably the first thoughts that come to mind to many of the SHL's elite players when they hear about Brett Kennedy, Seattle Riot's multi-faceted center. For the six seasons he has been on the SHL ice, most of the time you can't not see him out there. With his 6'5" stature, his hard-nosed physicality on the ice, and his oft-offending sound bytes to other players after the game, Kennedy is a human highlight reel, whether positive or negative to himself and the Riot.

But something immediately changed in Kennedy as the 41st season of the league opened - Kennedy was silent.

Maybe it was due to the fact that the Riot were a lost cause to begin with, heavily relying on young and possibly unprepared talent to carry an elite franchise. Maybe there were some more personal issues that were stemming with Kennedy. The sign-and-trade from New England, and the widely known public fallout in Manhattan, along with the occasional criticism of of league ownership made many to believe that another issue with Seattle management was stemming. Or, perhaps Kennedy was setting his eyes on hanging up his shoes early, with the growing unrest from his Agency, SDKG Inc, of trying to clean up 'PR Messes' that Kennedy caused for so long, resulting in Kennedy being unhappy.

All of that was laid to rest in a recent interview this past week - his first in two seasons. After Team USA's elimination to Latvia in the IIHF Tournament, Kennedy talked to Seattle's local radio station in a lengthy two-hour exclusive interview and spoke about many subjects, including his recent performance on the ice, which has been a surprise not only to the public, but to many teammates.

Kennedy, on his success on the scoresheet the last two seasons;

Kennedy saw a somewhat slow rise in point totals the last two seasons. After a quiet 26 points, Kennedy saw a rise in shots, and points. The following season, his point total increased to 35, which ultimately led the team in what was a moot point in a season that was doomed from the start for the Riot, who only ended up winning an embarrassing 9 games that season. The return of Seattle draftee and star Louie Garrett saw not only the Riot improve two fold (a 10 win improvement, finishing 4th in the Western Conference), but also saw an improvement in Kennedy's game. Kennedy reached the 40-point mark for the first time in his career, and for the first time, saw him in the Top-75 in points. This began sparking conversation in many local pubs, and the odd sports radio stations - Is Kennedy more than just a faceoff-winning hitter, or was this reaping the benefits on what is still considered a fairly weak Seattle Riot team?

Now this creates a heightened expectation for Kennedy for the future seasons. He's now being recognized for his scoring, can he continue his pace? Kennedy believes he can, with a Riot team that could surprise many this coming season.


Kennedy took a lot of time in the radio interview to explain his reasonings as to why he stayed silent for the major part of two seasons, and a lot of it had to do with what happened before he arrived to Seattle.


With his contract set to expire at the end of this coming season, he ended the interview that he let management know , and he would be 'truly' testing free agency when the season was over. The last time he tested free agency, he was a restricted free agent with New England, and it turned into a sign-and-trade deal to Manhattan. He stated that he would truly listen to any team that would think he's still a valuable asset somewhere else, but the odds of staying in Seattle are still high.


Kennedy's spotlight will burn a little hotter under his jersey this season. The question now, is if Kennedy can perform again and continue the pace he's on right now.