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'Brouwer Rangers' back North Delta NHLer

North Delta-raised NHLer Troy Brouwer may have two of the most devoted fans in the entire league.

Brouwer, a winger for the Washington Capitals, is cheered on enthusiastically by the Brouwer Rangers, a pair of season ticket-holders who dress for home games in red Power Rangers outfits, complete with helmets.

The Brouwer-backing fan club, established in 2012, frequently posts photos and messages on its Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Publicly, the fans are known only as Red Ranger Ryan and Red Ranger Nathan, according to a 2013 post on the "Capitals Outsider" blog.

The fan club was once known as Knuble's Knights, in salute Mike Knuble, a Caps player who left the team after the 2011-2012 season.

"After it became clear that Knuble would not be returning (to the Capitals), we knew we wanted to cheer someone new this season," the Rangers told blog writer Barbara Banks in 2013.

"Brouwer was always at the top of our list because of the type of player he is - a solid contributor who isn't really a 'superstar.'"

The fan club's Twitter feed, which boasts close to 5,600 followers, includes recent photos of the pair with their favourite hockey player.

Brouwer, 29, a one-time North Delta Secondary School student, was drafted in 2004 by the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2010. That summer, hundreds of hockey fans lined the streets of North Delta to welcome Brouwer home with the coveted trophy.

This season, Brouwer has scored 21 goals and 22 assists in 81 games with the Caps, who enter the NHL playoffs this week with home-ice advantage in a series with New York Islanders. tzillich@thenownewspaper.com



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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