Last spring, the Calgary Flames were ousted in the first round of the NHL playoffs by the Chicago Blackhawks. So then-assistant coach Jim Playfair began checking out the club’s junior team, the Calgary Hitmen, who were still involved in the Western Hockey League post-season wars.

It didn’t take long for Playfair to zero in on Hitmen defenceman Keith Seabrook, who was in the midst of racking up four goals and 15 points in 18 WHL playoff games.

“His ability to be a real good player as the competition went up, as the price of poker went up [was impressive]. I thought he really rose to the occasion,” says Playfair, who as head coach of the Abbotsford Heat now relies on Seabrook.

“There have been some games this year where he’s been far and away our best defenceman, with or without the puck. His shot on the power play is impressive. The thing I like about Seebs the most is his ability to be a calm player under pressure. I don’t think he has a panic button. But sometimes I don’t think he has his preparation at a high enough level to bring the good energy.”

It hasn’t been a straight line to the professional ranks for the Delta native. As a young teen he decided to play for the Coquitlam Express of the B.C. Hockey League, forgoing the WHL route his older brother Brent had taken by joining the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the hopes of getting a U.S. college scholarship.

“I talked to some guys who went to school, and I wasn’t as big as my brother or as highly touted as he was, so I thought it was a good backup plan to have,” says Seabrook.

In his second BCHL season he was a key cog for the Burnaby Express as they won the 2006 RBC Cup, the national junior A championship. Then it was off to the University of Denver, where he had two goals and 13 points in 37 games. But being the money player he was, Seabrook missed the game action, especially after a 60-game regular season and 35 post-season battles with the Express.

“I just realized it wasn’t as much hockey as I would have liked to play coming off that 95-game season in Burnaby,” says Seabrook.

So he decided to join the Hitmen, scoring four goals and 17 points in his first season before notching 15 goals and 55 points last year.

“It was a big transition year for me,” says Seabrook. “I underestimated the speed and the strength of that league, and coming in and getting injured in the middle of that season I felt like I was playing a catch-up game all year.”

Just a couple of weeks after Burnaby’s triumph, Seabrook was selected in the second round of the NHL entry draft by the Washington Capitals. Although he’d gone to all the Caps camps, he seemed to be getting lost in the shuffle and he never did sign with them. Washington owned his rights until July 1, 2010, but since Seabrook had no more junior eligibility left, he had nowhere to play. Fortunately the Flames brass took a fancy to him and made a deal with Washington.

“I have no idea what was happening [with Washington],” says Seabrook. “It was a shock to me after the season not to have a place to go, but luckily I had a real good season in Calgary and they were there watching me and that worked out perfect to get a trade to over here.”

Playfair and Seabrook share some similarities. They are both blueliners and both have highly-touted older brothers who also played defence. Larry Playfair – like Jim a first-round pick – played more than 600 NHL games, while Jim got into just 21. Playfair has also coached the Regehr boys, long-time Flame Robyn and younger sibling Richie, who is now playing in Germany after just six career NHL games.

Google Keith Seabrook and almost matching the number of hits for him are headlines reading “Keith, Seabrook named to the Canadian Olympic team” – referring to Brent and his Chicago Blackhawks blueline partner Duncan Keith.

“There’s always been high expectations. I’ve always held high expectations for myself, and with all the success he’s had it definitely adds to the pressure a little bit,” says Keith. “But I’m confident in myself that if things keep going the way they’re going and keep working hard, that one day I’m going to get my shot.”

As of Feb. 5, Seabrook had played 51 games for the Heat, collecting seven goals and 16 points.

“I think I’ve had a good season,” says Seabrook of his first pro campaign. “I don’t think I’ve hit my peak yet, but the second half of the year and playoffs is always usually my strength in the season.”

If that happens it will mean Playfair can look forward to a rerun of what he watched last spring, and that’s a rerun he would certainly enjoy viewing.