Benoit Brunet
Encyclopedia
Benoît Brunet is a Canadian
retired professional ice hockey
player. He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
in the second round, 27th overall, of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft
.
, Brunet made his professional debut with the American Hockey League
's Sherbrooke Canadiens
in the 1988–89 season
. He also made his NHL debut with Montreal that same season, appearing in two games and recording one assist.
Brunet became a fixture on the Canadiens' roster, playing with them until the 2001–02 season. He became a favorite of the hometown fans due to his local roots and path to the NHL as well as his work as a defensive forward which made him a constant on the team's penalty killing unit. During the 2001–02 season, he was traded to the Dallas Stars
, along with Martin Ručínský
, in exchange for Donald Audette
and Shaun Van Allen
. Brunet appeared in 32 games with the Stars before being traded again, this time to the Ottawa Senators
in exchange for a pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
. Brunet finished the season with Ottawa, and retired afterward.
In his NHL career, Brunet appeared in 539 games. He scored 101 goals and added 161 assists. He also appeared in 54 playoff games, scoring five goals and adding 20 assists. He was a member of the Canadiens team that won the Stanley Cup
in 1993.
for the French-language sports network RDS
for NHL games that didn't involve the Montreal Canadiens. For the 2008-09 season he was promoted as the main colour commentator alongside play-by-play man Pierre Houde for all Montreal Canadiens games, replacing long time veteran and highly respected journalist Yvon Pedneault
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
retired professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player. He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in the second round, 27th overall, of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft
1986 NHL Entry Draft
The 1986 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 21, 1986 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1985–86 NHL season and playoff standings...
.
Playing career
After playing three seasons for the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHLQuebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
, Brunet made his professional debut with the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Sherbrooke Canadiens
Sherbrooke Canadiens
The Sherbrooke Canadiens were a professional ice hockey team in Sherbrooke, Quebec. They played their home games at the Palais des Sports. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1984 to 1990, and were a farm team of the Montreal Canadiens....
in the 1988–89 season
1988–89 AHL season
The 1988–89 AHL season was the 53rd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned awarding points for an overtime loss. The Sherbrooke Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season...
. He also made his NHL debut with Montreal that same season, appearing in two games and recording one assist.
Brunet became a fixture on the Canadiens' roster, playing with them until the 2001–02 season. He became a favorite of the hometown fans due to his local roots and path to the NHL as well as his work as a defensive forward which made him a constant on the team's penalty killing unit. During the 2001–02 season, he was traded to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, along with Martin Ručínský
Martin Rucinsky
Martin Ručinský is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for HC Litvínov of the Czech Extraliga. Ručínský was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round as the 20th overall selection in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft on June 22, 1991. Ručinský led the Montreal Canadiens in...
, in exchange for Donald Audette
Donald Audette
Donald Audette is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers.-Playing career:He was drafted in the 9th round of the...
and Shaun Van Allen
Shaun Van Allen
Shaun Van Allen is a retired professional hockey player who played in the NHL from 1991 to 2004. He played 794 games in the NHL, and scored 269 points.-Professional career:...
. Brunet appeared in 32 games with the Stars before being traded again, this time to the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in exchange for a pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
2003 NHL Entry Draft
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21, 2003.Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, only the third goalie in NHL history selected as the first overall draft choice...
. Brunet finished the season with Ottawa, and retired afterward.
In his NHL career, Brunet appeared in 539 games. He scored 101 goals and added 161 assists. He also appeared in 54 playoff games, scoring five goals and adding 20 assists. He was a member of the Canadiens team that won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 1993.
Color Commentator
A few years after his retirement, Brunet was hired as a colour commentatorColor commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for the French-language sports network RDS
Réseau des sports
Réseau des sports , is a Canadian French language Category C specialty channel showing sports and sport-related shows. It is available in 2.5 million homes, and is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc....
for NHL games that didn't involve the Montreal Canadiens. For the 2008-09 season he was promoted as the main colour commentator alongside play-by-play man Pierre Houde for all Montreal Canadiens games, replacing long time veteran and highly respected journalist Yvon Pedneault
Yvon Pedneault
Yvon Pedneault is a French Canadian sports journalist and television and radio broadcaster from Chicoutimi, Quebec who is known for his coverage of ice hockey. Pedneault is the only person to have worked full-time for all three French-language Montreal daily papers, as well as every French-language...
.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1986–87 1986–87 QMJHL season The 1986–87 QMJHL season was the 18th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Ten teams played 70 games each in the schedule. The two last place teams from previous season both won their divisions. The Granby Bisons finished first overall in the regular season, winning their... |
Hull Olympiques | QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... |
60 | 43 | 67 | 110 | 105 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 8 | ||
| 1987–88 1987–88 QMJHL season The 1987–88 QMJHL season was the 19th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Ten teams played 70 games each in the schedule. Patrice Lefebvre of the Shawinigan Cataractes becomes the last player in Canadian Hockey League history to record a 200-point season... |
Hull Olympiques | QMJHL | 62 | 54 | 89 | 143 | 131 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 11 | ||
| 1988–89 1988–89 AHL season The 1988–89 AHL season was the 53rd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned awarding points for an overtime loss. The Sherbrooke Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season... |
Sherbrooke Canadiens Sherbrooke Canadiens The Sherbrooke Canadiens were a professional ice hockey team in Sherbrooke, Quebec. They played their home games at the Palais des Sports. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1984 to 1990, and were a farm team of the Montreal Canadiens.... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
73 | 41 | 76 | 117 | 95 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1988–89 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 1989–90 AHL season The 1989–90 AHL season was the 54th season of the American Hockey League.Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Canadiens repeated finishing first overall in the regular season... |
Sherbrooke Canadiens | AHL | 72 | 32 | 35 | 67 | 82 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 20 | ||
| 1990–91 1990–91 AHL season The 1990–91 AHL season was the 55th season of the American Hockey League. Fifteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Fredericton Canadiens Fredericton Canadiens The Fredericton Canadiens, or the 'Baby Habs' were a professional ice hockey team in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The Canadiens played their home games at the Aitken Centre... |
AHL | 24 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 2 | ||
| 1990–91 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 1991–92 AHL season The 1991–92 AHL season was the 56th season of the American Hockey League. The league realigns from divisions into three divisions, creating the new Atlantic division. Fifteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Fredericton Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season... |
Fredericton Canadiens | AHL | 6 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 18 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 47 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 19 | 20 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 1993–94 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 71 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16 | ||
| 1994–95 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 45 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Fredericton Canadiens | AHL | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 26 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1996–97 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 39 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1997–98 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 68 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 61 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1998–99 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 60 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 50 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 35 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 16 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
NHL | 32 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 2001–02 AHL season The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion... |
Utah Grizzlies Utah Grizzlies The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play out of West Valley City, Utah, United States, with their home games at the Maverik Center.- Franchise history :... |
AHL | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 13 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 539 | 101 | 161 | 262 | 229 | 54 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 32 | ||||
| AHL totals | 183 | 98 | 140 | 238 | 232 | 24 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 26 | ||||
| QMJHL totals | 193 | 130 | 193 | 323 | 317 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 19 | ||||