Don Brashear began his professional hockey career in 1992 with the Montreal Canadians and now plays with the Washington Capitals. Brashear is known as a very physical, aggressive player, spending his share of time in the penalty box, but is also regarded as one of the top “enforcers” in the league.
A widely publicized incident between Brashear and Marty McSorley in February, 2000, cost Brashear a serious concussion and loss of memory but he was back on the ice within a few weeks and is fully recovered. McSorley was charged with the crime of assault with a weapon and not allowed to play in a game in which Brashear played for eighteen months.
In 2002-2003, while playing for Philadelphia, Brashear won the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial, a trophy honoring the Flyers’ most improved player. In what has become regarded as the most penalized game in history, Brashear was in the middle of the melee with the Ottawa Senators in March, 2004.
Brashear was traded by the Flyers to Washington in time for the 2006-2007 season. He was then resigned for the following season and acts as alternate captain for the team. Brashear as said in the recent past that the game of hockey has too many restrictions now and takes away a lot of his options, meaning the aggressive way he chooses to play the game. This makes sense for a man who once trained with boxer, Joe Frazier, in order to hone his skills on the ice.
Although not widely known, Brashear is an accomplished pianist. Although criticized in the past for some of his aggressive play, no one disputes Brashear’s love for the game and his commitment to his team.
