In 1988, Canadian-American, Donald Brashear began his hockey career playing with teams such as Ste-Foy, Longueuil College-Francais, and Verdun College-Francais. He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens as a free agent in 1992. Over time he has become known for his record holding number of penalty minutes.
As an enforcer for the National Hockey League, Brashear has played for several different teams. Brashear was sent to play with the Canucks of Vancouver after a hot argument with head coach of the Canadiens. During a game in 2000, while playing again Boston, Brashear was struck on the side of his head with a stick by Marty McSorley. He fell to the ice, where he bounced and his helmet came off. He made a full recovery and returned to play in a few weeks. Brashear has no memory of the incident. The next year in December, Brashear was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. He received the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial award given to the team's most improved player. At 6'2” and 225 lbs., Brashear was very good at his job. He was instrumental in starting a fight in a game with the Ottawa Senators in 2004, which became the most penalized game in the NHL's history.
When the hockey league lockout ended, Brashear experienced difficulty adjusting to the 'new' NHL and said that you can't do anything anymore. The Flyers informed Brashear after the 05-06 season that they were hiring younger players. Subsequently, he signed to a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals. The following February, Brashear signed a one-year $1.1 million extended contract and served as one of alternating captains for the Capitals. In January of 2008, he re-signed with the Capitals for $1.2 million.
