Michel Brière
| Michel Brière | |||
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| Born |
October 21, 1949 Malartic, Quebec, Canada |
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| Died | April 13, 1971 (aged 21) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Pittsburgh Penguins | ||
| NHL Draft | 26th overall, 1969 Pittsburgh Penguins |
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| Playing career | 1969–1970 | ||
Michel Edouard Brière (October 21, 1949 – April 13, 1971) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player for one season in the National Hockey League. Following his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Brière was involved in a car accident in which he suffered major head trauma. After multiple brain surgeries and 11 months in a coma, he died as a result of his injuries at the age of 21.
Brière was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. During his junior career with the Shawinigan Bruins, he scored 129 goals and 191 assists, for 320 points in 100 games. According to the Penguins' general manager Jack Riley, during the contract negotiations with Brière prior to the 1969–70 season "He asked for a bigger bonus and said, 'I'm going to be here for 20 years.."
On November 1, 1969, Brière scored his first NHL goal against the Minnesota North Stars' goaltender Ken Broderick. He would go on to score 12 goals and 32 assists, to finish third in the team scoring with 44 points.
During the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Brière scored the first overtime goal in Penguins' history on April 12, 1970, by scoring the game-winner, and series clincher, against the Oakland Seals at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena. The sweep of the Seals was also the first playoff series victory for the Penguins' franchise.
While Brière helped lead the Penguins to the second round of the NHL playoffs, the team finished two victories short of the Stanley Cup final, by losing to the St. Louis Blues in the semifinals. During the playoffs, Brière led the team in scoring with eight points, which included five goals and three assists. Three of his five goals were game-winners.
Despite being named the Penguins' rookie of the year, Brière received no votes for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which was won by Chicago Black Hawks' goaltender Tony Esposito. At this time, many scouts were predicting that Brière would develop into a top NHL player. Brière drew comparisons to Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke, both of whom were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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