The 29-year-old has signed up for another season after being a standout performer on the first line last year as his physical presence combined with his scoring touch, made him a nightmare to play against.
Last season, Harms featured 61 times and recorded 48 points as he lit the lamp 14 times and assisted on 34 more goals, whilst also collecting 97 penalty minutes.
Born in Steinbach, Manitoba, Brendan will be playing his fifth straight season in Europe, after having previous spells in France, Norway and Denmark, since moving across the pond during the 2019-2020 campaign.
Harms, a two-time Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) Champion, has finished in the top 10 of point scoring in every season he has played, since 2009 and also has over 100 games of experience in both the ECHL and NCAA.
LEFEBVRE ON HARMS
Once the re-signing of Harms was confirmed, Stars Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach, Marc LeFebvre, said: “Brendan is an integral part of our leadership group and an integral part of our room.
“He is a leader on and off the ice, he is a big voice in our room and he has a tremendous work ethic.
“He creates time and space for other players, he is tough in front of the opposing team’s net and he is very good defensively, overall he is just a very good two-way, physical player.
“You saw the success he had playing on that top line last year and I hope he continues that production this year and he will have even more of a leadership role off the ice this year.”
LeFebvre continued: “He is an absolute pain to play against, everything he brings to the ice makes him a pain to play against and I have chased his signature for almost six years before we got it done last year.
“So, to have him on board again for a second year is an integral part for where we want to go next year.
“He was a leader in that group last year and the guys that we want to bring back from last season, after seeing he is back, hopefully they will follow suit.”
HARMS ON EXTENDING HIS STAY
After penning his contract extension, Brendan said: “I am really excited to be back.
“Looking over the past year, we had a really good time, a great group of guys and I thought we had a pretty good year.
“It was up and down, we had a tough start but we had some really good moments throughout the season and won a bunch of really big games.
“Like a lot of the other guys are saying, it is really nice to come back and build off that and we played really well in the playoffs but we just did not have that little extra bit we needed to get into that final four.
“So, it is something I am looking forward to, getting back and getting this team into the final four.
“Amanda and I loved our time in Dundee, we made a lot of great friends and already had some friends going in, so seeing a lot of guys return obviously makes it more exciting to come back as well.”
Discussing how talks progressed over the early part of the offseason, Harms added: “Marc and I have a pretty good relationship, he had said after the season when we had our meetings that I was welcome back, which was really nice and especially because I have been around a bit now and played in a lot of places, so it is definitely good to feel wanted and I really enjoyed my time in Dundee.
“I got to play a tonne and I had a pretty big role on the team, which was nice and everything he told me last summer and throughout the season, he kept his word on, so I respect Marc a lot.
“Then I was just weighing up the options with Amanda to see if we wanted to try something new or go back to somewhere we know and Dundee checked a lot of boxes like it did last summer, so it is really nice to come back to a team that you are familiar with.”
He continued: “It makes it a lot easier whenever you have familiarity within the group, as last year I think we had mostly a new squad except for the Scots and Dowsy who were all back, so it was a brand-new team.
“We gelled really quickly but we also had a lot of guys who were playing over in Europe for the first time, so just getting used to that and the league itself is a change, so having that core group back is awesome and not only for on the ice but off the ice too.
“Last year we had a really close group, which is why I think a lot of guys are coming back, we got along really well off the ice and I think that showed on the ice too and you could see how much we cared for each other.
“We did a good job last year of trying to get together as a team as much as we could and on some of those long bus trips, you are spending a lot of time together, so we gelled early like I said and that is something we are going to try and do off the hop this year.
“I am sure Dowsy has some plans to all get together as soon as possible, as will the owners and the Wards did a great job with that as well last year, we got to do a lot together as a team and not only just the guys but the girlfriends and wives too, because last year we had a lot of girlfriends and wives over and they all got along really well, so it is one big family.
“So, I think we found success from that but now it is time to take it to the next level and I think everyone wants more, the fans want more, the players want more and Marc wants more.
“That is kind of what our goal is to take things to that next level and get Dundee to where we should be.”
Brendan then shared what he hopes to bring for the upcoming season, commenting: “Last season, I was really fortunate to play with some really good players, I got to play with Ryan and Spencer throughout the whole year and I think we gelled really well together.
“This year, I am just going to bring the same things I brought last year, so try to bring the work ethic every night and the fans can expect that from me and also try to provide as much offence as possible.
“I can play in all situations for Marc and that is what my goal is, just to try and help the team as much as possible in any way I can, so if I can provide a little leadership again and show the way I guess.
“I am not always in their face, I can provide offence too but a lot of that comes from being in front of the net, I like being there and, in the corners, but sometimes when you are in the mix like that, scrums and stuff happen but I am just going to bring that work ethic every night and hopefully that leads by example.
“There will be some new faces too and that is exciting, I think we have already made some really good signings with guys who are new to the league and also O’Connor who is well established within the league.
“So, I think it will be a good mix of returning and new guys, Marc did a great job last year getting a good group together and I am sure he will again this summer.”
Finally, Harms shared a message for the Stars fans ahead of his return to the DIA and he said: “I am super excited to get back, Dundee has awesome fans and I got to meet a lot of them last year.
“They truly care about the team and the places we want to go with this team, so I am really excited to be coming back and I will work as hard as I can to help this team be the best we can be.”
Listen to the full interview with Brendan and Stars TV below!
In his 15-year-career so far, Brendan has featured in 727 matches, recorded 232 goals, 348 assists and collected 642 penalty minutes, while also playing in 85 playoff games, where he tallied 67 points (26G, 41A) and 72 penalty minutes.
Brendan is our 11th signing of the summer and joins Drydn Dow, Ben O’Connor, Jonathan McBean, Xavier Pouliot, Craig Garrigan, Kris Inglis, Kyle Pouncy, Brett Gravelle, Craig Moore and Keanu Yamamoto on the roster for next season.
Harms will again wear #81 for the Stars and you can sponsor his equipment for this season right now, click HERE.
To see Brendan’s career stats on Elite Prospects click HERE.
All images: Derek Black.
