Michel Briere
Encyclopedia
Michel Edouard Brière was an NHL
hockey player whose life and career was cut short due to an automobile accident
in 1970.
in the third round (#26 overall) in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft
. During his junior career with the Shawinigan Bruins, Brière was a dominant force, scoring 129 goals, 191 assists, and 320 points in 100 games.
During his first/only NHL season, Brière would be a core component to the Penguins as they went to the 2nd round of the playoffs in the 1969–70 season. He scored 12 goals and 32 assists, finishing third in team scoring with 44 points. At this time, many scouts were predicting that the slightly-built but fast and nimble Brière would be a top NHL star for years to come. Brière was even being compared to the likes of Phil Esposito
and Bobby Clarke
, who were also young phenoms.
On November 1, 1969, Pittsburgh's rookie center scored his first NHL goal by beating Minnesota North Stars
' goaltender Ken Broderick
at the 15:15 mark of the third period.
He raised his game in the playoffs, leading the team in scoring with eight points. Brière netted the first overtime goal in franchise history on April 12, 1970. Brière scored the game-winner – and series clincher – at 8:28 of the first overtime period against the Oakland Seals in front of 3,028 fans at the Oakland Coliseum. The sweep of the Seals was the first playoff series victory for the Penguins.
The Penguins finished just two victories short of the Stanley Cup final, losing to St. Louis in the semifinals.
Brière finished the playoffs with five goals, including three game-winning goals, and was named the Penguins' rookie of the year.
to marry his childhood sweetheart Michele Beaudoin. Brière and Beaudoin, who had a 1-year-old son, Martin, were to be married on June 6, 1970.
Tragedy struck at 9 p.m. on May 15, 1970, when Brière was involved in a single-car crash with two friends.
Brière was ejected from his Orange 1970 Mercury Cougar
along Highway 117 in Val-d'Or just 70 miles from his hometown of Malartic
. The Pens' rookie suffered major head trauma. Brière was flown 300 miles by government plane to Notre Dame Hospital in Montreal where Dr. Claude Bertrand, a leading Canadian neuro-surgeon, performed the first of four brain surgeries and delivered his prognosis that Brière had a 50-50 chance of living.
While Brière was hospitalized, the Penguins started pre-season conditioning near Brantford, Ontario
. Then-trainer Ken Carson added Brière's name to the back of a jersey. The jersey, along with Brière's equipment bag, traveled with the team for the 1970–71 season.
Ten months later Brière was transferred to Montreal's Marie-Clarac Rehabilitation Hospital on March 27, 1971. The Pens finished the regular season at home on April 4 – a 1-1 tie with St. Louis – and missed the playoffs. Nine days later, after spending the last 11 months in a coma, Brière died at 4:20 p.m. on April 13, 1971.
Six members of the Penguins, including Jack Riley
, Carson and Coach Red Kelly
, attended the funeral outside Montreal. A memorial service was held in St. Paul's Cathedral
in Pittsburgh in which most of the team officials and some players attended.
Brière and Mario Lemieux
are the only two players in Penguins' history to have their numbers retired. Brière's number was officially retired on January 5, 2001; just nine days after Lemieux returned to once again wear his number 66.
The QMJHL
renamed its MVP award the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy
in 1972. The Pittsburgh Penguins also present the Michel Brière Rookie of the Year Award
annually to the season's best rookie player
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...
hockey player whose life and career was cut short due to an automobile accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
in 1970.
Playing career
Brière was selected by the Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
in the third round (#26 overall) in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft
1969 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1969 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This draft is notable for being the first NHL draft to be conducted after the league ended direct sponsorship of junior hockey.-Selections by round:...
. During his junior career with the Shawinigan Bruins, Brière was a dominant force, scoring 129 goals, 191 assists, and 320 points in 100 games.
During his first/only NHL season, Brière would be a core component to the Penguins as they went to the 2nd round of the playoffs in the 1969–70 season. He scored 12 goals and 32 assists, finishing third in team scoring with 44 points. At this time, many scouts were predicting that the slightly-built but fast and nimble Brière would be a top NHL star for years to come. Brière was even being compared to the likes of Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
and Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...
, who were also young phenoms.
On November 1, 1969, Pittsburgh's rookie center scored his first NHL goal by beating Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
' goaltender Ken Broderick
Ken Broderick
Kenneth Lorne Broderick is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 27 games in the National Hockey League and 73 games in the World Hockey Association. He played with the Minnesota North Stars, Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, and Quebec Nordiques. His brother Len also played in the...
at the 15:15 mark of the third period.
He raised his game in the playoffs, leading the team in scoring with eight points. Brière netted the first overtime goal in franchise history on April 12, 1970. Brière scored the game-winner – and series clincher – at 8:28 of the first overtime period against the Oakland Seals in front of 3,028 fans at the Oakland Coliseum. The sweep of the Seals was the first playoff series victory for the Penguins.
The Penguins finished just two victories short of the Stanley Cup final, losing to St. Louis in the semifinals.
Brière finished the playoffs with five goals, including three game-winning goals, and was named the Penguins' rookie of the year.
Tragedy
Brière returned to QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
to marry his childhood sweetheart Michele Beaudoin. Brière and Beaudoin, who had a 1-year-old son, Martin, were to be married on June 6, 1970.
Tragedy struck at 9 p.m. on May 15, 1970, when Brière was involved in a single-car crash with two friends.
Brière was ejected from his Orange 1970 Mercury Cougar
Mercury Cougar
The Mercury Cougar is an automobile which was sold under the Mercury brand of the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury Division from 1967 to 2002. The name was first used in 1967 and was carried by a diverse series of cars over the next three decades. As is common with Mercury vehicles, the Cougar...
along Highway 117 in Val-d'Or just 70 miles from his hometown of Malartic
Malartic, Quebec
Malartic is a town on the Malartic River in northwestern Quebec, Canada, in the La Vallée-de-l'Or Regional County Municipality. It is located about east of the centre of Rouyn-Noranda along Quebec Route 117 and the Canadian National Railway....
. The Pens' rookie suffered major head trauma. Brière was flown 300 miles by government plane to Notre Dame Hospital in Montreal where Dr. Claude Bertrand, a leading Canadian neuro-surgeon, performed the first of four brain surgeries and delivered his prognosis that Brière had a 50-50 chance of living.
While Brière was hospitalized, the Penguins started pre-season conditioning near Brantford, Ontario
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
. Then-trainer Ken Carson added Brière's name to the back of a jersey. The jersey, along with Brière's equipment bag, traveled with the team for the 1970–71 season.
Ten months later Brière was transferred to Montreal's Marie-Clarac Rehabilitation Hospital on March 27, 1971. The Pens finished the regular season at home on April 4 – a 1-1 tie with St. Louis – and missed the playoffs. Nine days later, after spending the last 11 months in a coma, Brière died at 4:20 p.m. on April 13, 1971.
Six members of the Penguins, including Jack Riley
Jack Riley (ice hockey b. 1919)
John Patrick "Jack" Riley is a retired professional ice hockey player and executive. He was born in Toronto, Ontario.Riley played nine seasons of professional hockey, primarily in the Eastern Hockey League for the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Falcons and Washington Lions...
, Carson and Coach Red Kelly
Red Kelly
Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly, CM is a retired Canadian ice hockey player in the NHL. He played on more Stanley Cup winning teams than any player who never played for the Montreal Canadiens, and is the only player to be part of two of the nine dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history...
, attended the funeral outside Montreal. A memorial service was held in St. Paul's Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint Paul in Pittsburgh
The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
in Pittsburgh in which most of the team officials and some players attended.
Legacy
Brière's number 21 was not retired immediately by the team, but no one ever wore it again. A framed jersey hanged in the Igloo Club (inside the Pittsburgh Civic Arena) with his photo. That was the only visible sign the number was retired.Brière and Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
are the only two players in Penguins' history to have their numbers retired. Brière's number was officially retired on January 5, 2001; just nine days after Lemieux returned to once again wear his number 66.
The 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...
renamed its MVP award the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy
Michel Brière Memorial Trophy
The Michel Brière Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. It is named for former QMJHL and NHL player Michel Briere, who was killed in a car accident....
in 1972. The Pittsburgh Penguins also present the Michel Brière Rookie of the Year Award
Michel Briere Rookie of the Year Award
The Michel Brière Rookie of the Year Award is an award given to the Pittsburgh Penguins player who was the most proficient player on the team in his first year of competition in the league. It is named in memory of Michel Brière, who died in a car accident at the end of the 1969–70 NHL season....
annually to the season's best rookie player
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 | ||
| 1969–70 | Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... |
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... |
76 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 17 | ||
| NHL totals | 76 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 17 | ||||
See also
- List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career
- Pittsburgh Penguins All-Time Draft Picks